Baguio SK head gets post amid protests

BAGUIO CITY — Sangguniang Kabataan Federation president Gloria Ysabel Vergara De Vera assumed her position last week amid protest by two losing candidates.

A protest rally conducted over the weekend failed to stop her proclamation and oath taking.
De Vera is a daughter of former councilor Gladys Vergara-De Vera and the granddaughter of former mayor and congressman Bernie Vergara.

De Vera won last week in the election for SK federation president, defeating two other candidates. She garnered 48 votes in the election participated in by 122 SK chairpersons.

After she was declared the winner by representatives of the Department of Interior and Local Government, De Vera took her oath of office before Baguio Rep. Mauricio Domogan.
Last Saturday Dec. 8, some SK chairpersons and their supporters staged a protest rally here, condemning the alleged harassment on them.

They said they were harassed so that they would not push through with their plan to file a petition to declare the SK federation elections null and void.

The young De Vera lamented the action of the rival candidates who, she said, are "resorting to trial by publicity and under-handed propaganda."

During her first-day attendance of city council session, she told media people "that there is a protest mechanism under existing laws and a proper body to receive such protests."
Sources said no protest has been received so far by the DILG.

A manifesto of support was signed by 54 SK chairpersons, expressing support for De Vera and the other elected SK federation officials.

De Vera said she is prepared to respond to allegations of irregularity if there is a formal protest.
Karen Salingbay and Kathleen Camil Bilog, both De Vera’s rivals in the election, said that a text message had been circulating among the 128 SK chairpersons.

The message warned them they would be disqualified from their present positions if they testify on the alleged fraud in the election.

Both vowed to continue the protest they have started "so as to restore the sanctity of the SK election" which, they claim, was tainted with fraud and vote-buying.

The alleged vote-buying loomed when some SK chairpersons declined an offer for them to receive P6,000 and a brand-new cellphone if they cast their vote for the candidate of an influential person in the city.

In a statement, De Vera said, "I appeal to the small sector of aggrieved SK chairmen, including the losing SK presidential candidates to abide by the law. Let us move on and unify for greater service."

Meanwhile, the protesters heeded the challenge of De Vera’s group and vowed to question the validity of what they described as the "martial-law type" election process.

They had earlier complained that the DILG, which was supposed to be neutral body, took side in the election when they allowed a certain candidate to campaign openly in the hotel where the SK chairpersons were billeted while depriving the others of the same opportunity.

The petitioners also criticized the harassment done by some quarters in an attempt to intimidate those who are supporting the petition to declare the elections null and void and to prevent those who have knowledge of the anomalies from testifying against those responsible for the irregularities. – Mike Guimbatan Jr. and Dexter A See