Palawan town residents want mayor, 7 councilors out due to ‘loss of confidence’

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY — A group of residents of Narra town in Palawan province has filed a recall petition against sitting Mayor Crispin Lumba Jr. and seven municipal councilors, citing “loss of confidence” due to poor public service.

Guillermo Aficial, president of the Sulong sa Pagbabago Bangon Narra and supporters of suspended Mayor Gerandy Danao, said they had so far gathered 28,495 signatures to back their petition for a recall election against Lumba and the seven Sangguniang Bayan members. “We lost our trust in them,” said Aficial in a phone interview, pointing out instances of unmet social welfare needs by those severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

“During the pandemic, [Danao] climbed mountains to distribute food aids. Unlike now, [with Lumba], everything is self-serving,” Aficial claimed.

Lumba, in a phone interview on Thursday morning, declined to issue further statement, but said he respected the constitutional right of the townsfolk.

“I don’t want to talk about it yet, but we respect the constitutional right of our constituents,” Lumba said. The recall petition, which was received by the municipal Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday, was still on hold at the municipal poll body’s office as it “lacks some supporting documents.” With a total of 36,727 registered voters in the town as of the 2019 data from Comelec data, the petitioners have exceeded the minimum 25 percent of Narra’s verified voting population to hold a special election with the same set of candidates from the most recent polls, which may or may not change the existing elected officials, according to the Local Government Code.

The supporters of Danao filed the recall petition against the suspended mayor’s political detractors, who were behind the administrative raps that resulted in Danao’s 20-month suspension after the Provincial Board pronounced him guilty of various counts of grave misconduct, gross negligence, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service.

The complaints were filed by Lumba and majority of the Narra SB members. An appeal to reconsider Danao’s suspension is now pending before the Office of the President.

In 2015, a recall election was held in Puerto Princesa City between former Mayor Edward Hagedorn and elected Mayor Lucilo Bayron. Bayron won the recall election. INQ