Davide calls for sobriety over Bantayan mayoralty decision

While he may personally disagree with the decision, Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III asked Bantayan town officials to obey the order of the Supreme Court (SC) and stop the tug-of-war for the mayoralty seat.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Davide said that since the SC already ruled on the issue, Bantayan officials should respect the court’s mandate.

Davide, however, added that he had hoped that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) would rule to respect the mandate received by incumbent Mayor Arthur Despi from the people of Bantayan.

Despi won with 16,494 votes over Ian Christopher Escario’s 12,043.

“Para nako mas dapat gihatagan og mas dako og gibug-aton ang gitawag nga voice of the electorate diha sa Bantayan. Clearly he was the choice of Bantayanons,” Davide said.

(For me, the Comelec should have put more weight on the voice of the electorate in Bantayan. Clearly Despi was the choice of Bantayanons.)

Davide also believed that Comelec should not have disqualified Despi and simply considered him as an independent candidate.

“Mahimo ilang i-declare (disqualified) ang substitution but dawaton ang COC and himoon as independent si Despi,” Davide explained.

(The Comelec could have declared him as disqualified in the substitution but they could have received his COC and declared Despi as an Independent.)

Davide was referring to the Comelec resolution which declared Despi as unqualified to replace Jose Caracena as official candidate of Abag-Promdi for Bantayan’s mayoral post.

Last Dec. 11, 2015, then Bantayan mayor Escario filed a petition asking Comelec to cancel Despi’s certificate of candidacy (COC) after Despi allegedly fabricated his certificate of nomination and acceptance (Cona) issued by Abag-Promdi.

Oscar Canton, the party’s secretary general, denied issuing the Cona for Despi.

On May 7, 2016 or just three days before the elections, the Comelec First Division, deciding in favor of Escario’s petition, canceled Despi’s candidacy on the basis of the Cona technicality.

A motion for reconsideration filed by Despi was denied by the Comelec en banc.

The decision was recently upheld by the Supreme Court in an order that was final and executory.

Davide also pointed out that Despi’s name was already in the ballot.

Escario was officially proclaimed the winner of Bantayan’s mayoralty race last Monday at the Comelec Central Office in Manila.

Meanwhile, Bantayan Vice Mayor Tony Montemar has dipped his fingers into the fight and filed a quo warranto petition challenging Escario’s right to the mayoralty seat.

Davide hopes that there will be no trouble in Bantayan.

“I hope after this as the proclamation of Escario, walay mahitabong kagubot between them. I’m sure between them (Escario and Despi) wa na sila kay kaila mana sila daan. Pero sa ilahang supporters, mainit unya, I really hope walay kagubot mahitabo,” Davide said.

(I hope after this proclamation of Escario, there will be no trouble between them. I’m sure between them there will be none because they both know each other. But their supporters might get heated. I hope there will be no trouble.)