Comelec proclaimed 12 multi-termers in Oct. polls, DILG says

Twelve multi-termer barangay (village) chairpersons won in October’s synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Council) elections and were proclaimed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said. The information came from the National Barangay Operations Office (NBOO), which said in a report to the DILG that of the 4,404 village heads across the country who have been holding their posts for three or more consecutive terms, 26 ran in the October 25 polls. NBOO Director John Castañeda identified the 12 victorious multi-termers as: - Enrique Bautista (Brgy Barrientos, Luna, La Union); - Noel Lomboy (Brgy. Ribusan, Naguilian, La Union); - Douglas Hagedorn (Brgy. San Miguel, Puerto Princesa City); - Rogelio Carbonell (Brgy. Old Moriones, Ocampo, Camarines Sur); - Ofelia Pati-on (Brgy. Tabun-ac, Toboso, Negros Occidental); - Gregorio Canda (Brgy. Botoc Occ., Loay, Bohol); - Bartolome Figueroa (Brgy. Bagacay, Daram, Samar); - Bienvenido Tubog (Brgy. New Kidapawan, Kibawe, Bukidnon); - Mario Cajucom (Brgy. 3, Caloocan); - Conrado Cruz (Brgy. 12, Caloocan); - Vicente Que (Brgy. 106, Caloocal); and - Othello Ocampo (Brgy. 136, Caloocan) According to Castañeda’s report, all the 12 winners were formally proclaimed by the Comelec based on verification conducted by his office with the concerned DILG regional offices. It added that save for Ofelia Pati-on of Brgy. Tabun-ac in Toboso, Negros Occidental, the other 11 winners have pending electoral protests filed against them. The DILG submitted to the Comelec in September a list of barangay heads who were on their third or fourth consecutive terms and were disqualified to run for re-election The prohibition is in accordance with Section 2 of Republic Act 9164 or An Act Providing for the Synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, which states that no barangay elective official shall serve for more than three consecutive terms. The Comelec, however, in a resolution issued on November 15, still proclaimed the village chiefs who won in the October 25 polls but whose names were found on the list of multi-termers submitted by the DILG. The Comelec resolution said the concerned candidates were not given the chance to explain why they should not be barred from running in the elections. - Jerrie M. Abella/KBK, GMANews.TV