Comelec proclaims Cebu town mayor, vice mayor, 8 councilors 2 years after polls

CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Commission on Elections (Comelec) finally proclaimed the mayor, vice-mayor and eight councilors of the municipality of Compostela in Cebu, almost two years after the May 2010 election.

The Special Board of Municipal Canvassers headed by lawyer Consuelo Diola proclaimed Mayor Joel Quiño as the elected mayor of the town, located 25.3 kilometers north of Cebu City, at around 4:20 p.m. Monday in the Comelec office in Manila, Mary Antonette Dangoy, who was also proclaimed as vice mayor, said.

The proclaimed councilors are Josephine Abing, Joy Ann Cabatingan, Tessa Cang, Wilfredo Calo, Homer Canen, Jose Cagang, Alfredo Cabatingan and Francisco Oliverio.

Of the eight councilors, Cabatingan was the only winner who belonged to the camp of former Mayor Ritchie Wagas who filed an election protest after he lost to Quiño in the May 2010 elections.

The winners were first proclaimed by the local Comelec after the election but their proclamation was annulled by the Comelec 2nd division due to the election protest.

The Department of Interior and Local government (DILG) had designated its regional director as caretaker of the town during the Comelec deliberations on the protest.