Tension grips Isabela town; two ‘mayors’ issuing orders

By JOAN CAPUNA

RAMON, Isabela – Tension is gripping this town as two men are occupying the mayoralty post, causing confusion among employees of the municipal government. The Commission on Elections proclaimed on April 24 former mayor Raymond Espidol as the duly-elected mayor of this town after a second re-canvassing conducted by a new set of municipal board of canvassers at the Comelec main office in Intramuros.

But Mayor Wilfredo Tabag refused to yield the post, saying there was no writ of execution issued by the Comelec or a Department of the Interior and Local Government’s order directing him to vacate the mayor’s office. Tabag’s lawyer filed a petition asking the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order to prevent Espidol from taking over the reins of the municipal government.

However, Espidol insisted he was the legitimate mayor because of the Comelec proclamation declaring him as the duly-elected mayor in the 2004 elections. Espidol, said the proclamation was based on the re-canvassing conducted by Comelec-designated MBOC composed of Manila-based Comelec lawyers.

Tabag refused to yield the post, saying the proclamation by the new MBOC on Espidol’s victory was “too early and premature.” Espidol, assisted by some policemen, stormed the municipal hall and occupied the mayor’s office, taking advantage of the absence of Tabag, who was in Manila at that time attending a national conference of the National People’s Coalition.

Tabag is now holding the office at the Sangguniang Bayan session hall. He issued office orders directing all department heads and municipal employees to ignore orders issued by Espidol, who likewise issued a memorandum informing all municipal officials and personnel that he is the lawful mayor.

Earlier this week, in a second re-canvassing of 41 contested election returns conducted by the MBOC, Espidol came out the winner in the 2004 mayoralty race in this town, following the exclusion of precincts upon the petition of lawyer Leila de Lima. In July last year, the first re-canvassing conducted by the old MBC of the same election returns showed Tabag got 8,228 and Espidol 6,916 or a margin of 1,312.

Tabag was later proclaimed mayor, ousting Espidol from the post. Espidol filed with the Comelec a petition seeking to nullify Tabag’s proclamation, which the poll body’s first division had affirmed, paving the way for the second re-canvassing of the questioned election returns. Tabag vowed to hold onto the post until he receives a Comelec-issued writ of execution or a DILG order enjoining him to yield the post.