Lanete’s temporary liberty a game changer in Masbate

MASBATE CITY—When dismissed Gov. Rizalina Seachon-Lanete was granted bail for a plunder charge on Wednesday, the gubernatorial race in Masbate province suddenly changed complexion, turning into an interesting fight.

Masbate, known for intense rivalry among local politicians and cases of violence especially during the elections, has four candidates vying for governor, including Lanete of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), Bong Bravo of the National Unity Party (NUP), Mercy Cabiles an independent, and Antonio Kho of the Nacionalista Party (NP).

Vice Mayor Ramon Abinuman, an ally of Lanete who is running for mayor in Cawayan town in the third congressional district of Masbate, said Lanete’s allies remained loyal and her machinery intact.

Abinuman said these leaders in 20 towns and Masbate City were preparing to welcome Lanete today with a big rally that would be attended by representatives from all towns.

He said Lanete’s allies in the third district, which has the biggest number of voters in the province (174,286 as of 2010), ran unopposed in the towns of Placer, Esperanza, Uson and Cawayan.

“The third district of Masbate is Lanete’s bailiwick and her rivals there failed to get Lanete’s leaders. What Bravo got are the leaders of Kho,” Abinuman said.

He said the political strength of Lanete remained potent despite her detention for alleged misuse of her congressional funds.

Another source, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of his position in the government, said that when Lanete was still detained, Bravo and Kho were the front-runners.

The source said Lanete, as governor, endeared herself to Masbateños because of the infrastructure projects that she brought to the province.

But Cabiles, an independent candidate for governor, said Lanete’s detention and its impact on her image as a politician had weakened her candidacy.

Cabiles said Lanete’s supporters had dwindled after she was detained.

“The problem of Lanete’s followers is that they are not sure what will happen next, so it impedes their decision to move,” she said.

Acting Masbate Gov. Vicente Homer Revil said he respected the decision of the Sandiganbayan to allow Lanete to post bail.

Revil, in an interview on Wednesday, said he would follow the rule of law but he would stay in his post in the meantime.

“I was advised by no less than the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) to stay because there is this Ombudsman decision on her administrative case that imposed perpetual disqualification to hold public office,” Revil said.

He said his appointment as governor stemmed from Lanete’s cases and the need to fill the vacancy she left. The DILG, he said, asked him to assume the post.

“There are two cases to consider—one is administrative, the other is a criminal case, which she was allowed to post bail. I have no problem obeying the decision of the courts,” Revil said.

Oscar Amador, program manager of the provincial office of the DILG, said Revil assumed the governor’s post “as an operation of law.”

But Amador said that if Lanete could show that the decision of the Sandiganbayan removed the legal impediment for her to reassume her post and hold office, then she could present her case to the Masbate provincial board for recognition.

With the appointment of Revil, the province’s vice governor, as acting governor, his wife, Kaye, assumed the post of the vice governor. Revil said his and his wife’s assumption of the province’s top two positions was not intentional or planned. His wife, he said, needed to assume the post of vice governor because she was the most senior board member of Masbate.

Florentino Altazar, assistant provincial administrator, said they would let the rule of law reign in Lanete’s case.

“Whatever is legal we will follow,” Altazar said.