Lucena councilor claims mayor is on her way out

LUCENA CITY—Incumbent Mayor Barbara Ruby Talaga is on her way out and will soon be replaced by Vice Mayor Roderick Alcala, according to a local official.

Lucena Councilor Rey Olivier Alejandrino said in a radio (dwCT-FM) interview Wednesday morning that he received reliable information that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc has decided on the petition contesting Talaga’s legitimacy as city mayor.

He said the decision would be issued by the poll body as mandated under Section 44 or the “succession rule” for elected local officials under RA 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer tried but failed to contact Barbara for confirmation.

However, her husband and former Lucena Mayor Ramon Talaga Jr. admitted that the Comelec would soon come out with a decision, which would not be in favor of his wife. He did not state the date of the issuance of the Comelec decision.

“Binaraso ang desisyon,” (The decision was forced), Ramon, now acting as city administrator, told the Inquirer in a phone interview from Manila Wednesday morning, but he did not elaborate.

The vice mayor is a nephew of Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, a close ally of President Benigno Aquino.

“When I return from Manila, I will reveal everything to the local media,” Ramon said.

He said his wife has been given 30 days to secure a temporary restraining order.

Last January, the Comelec Second Division ruled as legal the proclamation of Mayor Talaga and her incumbency as a local chief executive.

Questions on the legitimacy of Talaga’s assumption to office first arose after she filed documents with the Comelec in her bid to substitute for her husband Ramon.

The filing was made six days before the elections on May 10 last year, a fact that was hidden from Ramon’s foes and the city electorate.

In the final tally, Ramon received 44,099 votes while his opponent Philip Castillo, a former vice mayor, earned 39,615.

Based on existing election laws on substitution, the votes garnered by Ramon were automatically considered votes for Barbara.

Castillo, however, argued that Barbara could not be considered a valid candidate since her substitution and certificate of candidacy were only given due course and approved by the Comelec on May 13 or three days after the election.

Although not an original party to the poll protest between Castillo and Talaga, Vice Mayor Roderick Alcala filed a petition for intervention with the Comelec last July 22, 2010.

Castillo and Alcala subsequently appealed the decision to the Comelec en banc.