It took nearly two years after the 2010 elections for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to finally proclaim the mayor, vice mayor and eight councilors of Compostela town.
The Special Municipal Board of Canvassers headed by Consuelo Diola in Manila proclaimed Joel Quiño as Compostela mayor, at 4:20 p.m yesterday.
Other proclaimed winners are Mary Antonette Dangoy as vice mayor; and councilors Josephine Abing, Joy Ann Cabatingan, Tessa Cang, Wilfredo Calo, Homer Canen, Jose Cagang, Alfredo Cabatingan and Francisco Oliverio.
Of the eight councilors, Alfredo Cabatingan was the only winner from the opposing camp of former Mayor Ritchie Wagas.
While the winners were proclaimed by the local Comelec after the 2010 election, their proclamation was annulled by the Comelec’s second division after it received Wagas’s election protest.
With Compostela having no mayor, vice mayor and council, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) designated its regional director as the town’s caretaker.
“We felt relieved,” said Dangoy who was in Cebu during the proclamation.
Only Quiño and some councilors were in Manila during the proclamation.
Dangoy said she was happy that they were proclaimed so they can finally serve their constituents.
Cang, who was with Dangoy in Cebu, said Compostela would have become progressive like their neighboring towns were it not for the protest.
Cang said she was informed that the result of the recount was similar to the result of the actual count after the election.
She said they would have to work extra hard to make up for time lost due to the election protest.
Cang said they will implement programs on health, garbage collection, street lighting and road repair in the mountain barangays. She said they will first check on the town’s financial status.
She said they and Quiño can take the first flight out of Manila so they can assume their post in the municipal hall this morning.
Besides, “we will have to take our oath first’, she said.
Cang and Dangoy said they would talk to Rep. Ramon “Red” Durano IV of Cebu’s 5th district if he can administer their oath.
Compostela police said the town’s peace and order situation remained calm as of last night.
But SP03 Pedro Enriquez said they haven’t monitored the movement of the Wagas camp.
Wagas’s lawyer George Garcia said their camp isn’t done yet with the case.
“The search for truth doesn’t end with the Comelec, it’s just the beginning,” he told Cebu Daily News in a text message. Jhunnex Napallacan, Correspondent with a report from Ador Vincent Mayol