DUMAGUETE CITY , Philippines — Provincial Board Member Arnulfo Teves, incumbent president of the Association of Barangay Chairmen of Negros Oriental, was re-elected president of the organization in an uncontested bid during Wednesday's election held in this city.
Teves, who heads the ABC of Bayawan City in Negros Oriental, ran unopposed and got all 15 votes out of 16 ABC presidents from as many LGUs that cast their votes in the polls conducted by the DILG-Dumaguete, headed by Farah Gentuya.
Guihulngan City-ABC President Filomeno Reyes, who was present in the election, was unable to vote due to unsettled dues by the previous officials of that city's group. The 16 who were present, however, was more than the required majority of 13 out of 25 ABC presidents to make the election valid.
Of the 25 ABC presidents in six cities and 19 towns of Negros Oriental, nine were absent, from the towns of La Libertad, Bindoy, Pamplona, Sibulan, Valencia and Bacong, and the cities of Bais, Tanjay and Dumaguete.
Elected as vice president was the governor's sister, Siaton-ABC's Gina Degamo Estrella, who also ran unopposed after Edgar Teves Jr of Valencia-ABC withdrew his candidacy.
Elected auditor was Chona Agustino of Ayungon-ABC, while members of the board of directors, who had no opponents also, were Louie Palomar of Manjuyod town, Lesita Granada (Jimalalud), Joel Tugaoen (Zamboanguita), Jason Vasquez (Sta. Catalina) and Cresencio Joseph Jr. (San Jose). The 6th candidate who filed his candidacy for director, Denver Bokingkito of Tanjay City, did not attend the election.
Governor Roel Degamo administered the oath taking of the newly elected officials of the provincial ABC shortly after lunch Wednesday. The election was witnessed by Dr. Salustiano Jimenez of the DepEd, Gildo Agoncillo of the Comelec-Dumaguete and Msgr. Julius Heruela, head of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting in the province.
Teves, who reassumes his seat as ex-officio member of the PB, vowed to continues the plans and programs started by his administration. His first agenda will be to unify and strengthen the camaraderie of members of the ABC Federation. (FREEMAN)