BONTOC, Mountain Province – The law department of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) informed concerned parties in the celebrated election case against the members of the Provincial Board of Canvassers (PBOC) that the said case is considered submitted for resolution after all the concerned parties have submitted their position papers.
The order signed by lawyer Shemidah Gigantone-Cadiz, investigating officer, and noted by lawyer Maria Norina S. Tangaro-Casingal, Director IV of the Comelec law department, informed the concerned parties in the case that the preliminary investigation on the matter has been terminated and that the case has been submitted for resolution.
On January 19, 2017, the Comelec law department received from complainant Salvador Liked a letter dated December 21, 2016, requesting the status of the election offense case docketed as EO Case No. 16-120 entitled “Salvador liked and Francisco Balisong versus Atty. Elenita Julia Tabangin-Capuyan, Prosecutor Golda Calaoa-Bagawe and Provincial Schools Superintendent Gloria Buya-ao, all members of the Provincial board of Canvassers.’
Liked filed the election offense against the PBOC members for allegedly canvassing the votes that were cast for the late Gov. Leonard G. Mayaen in favour of his supposed substitute that happened to be his daughter, lawyer Kathy Jyll Mayaen-Luis whose certificate of candidacy as substitute for her deceased father was denied by the Commission en banc a few days before the May 9, 2016 general elections.
Further, the complainant accused the PBOC members of proceeding with the proclamation of the younger Mayaen as the winning candidate for the position of Provincial Governor using the votes garnered by his father amidst having received the Comelec en banc resolution that denied her certificate of candidacy as substitute candidate for her father who succumbed to cardiac arrest on March 31, 2016.
The older Mayaen was unopposed for his supposed third term as the province’s local chief executive had he not succumbed to the dreaded illness during the campaign period for the May 9, 2016, general elections.
Liked expressed optimism that the poll body will decide the case with reason and based on the pieces of evidence that were submitted for their appreciation to teach erring PBOC members a lesson not to commit the same mistake in future elections under similar circumstances.
The case was subjected to several hearings and the concerned parties were required to submit their respective position papers on the issue at hand for the issuance of the final resolution that will be subjected to approval by the Commission en banc.
The celebrated election case in Mountain Province had resulted in the filing of a number of cases against the members of the PBOC by anti-corruption advocates from the province over the past several months, most of which are pending with the concerned offices.
To prevent a vacuum in the province’s leadership, the poll body ruled that vice-gubernatorial candidate Bonifacio Lacwasan, Jr. will take his oath was the province’s vice governor and will subsequently take his oath as the province’s governor.
By HENT
