Mt Province leadership vacuum filled with demise of governor

Mayaen’s daughter files for substitution; Comelec still to decide on special polls 

By Angel B. Baybay and Gina Dizon

BONTOC, Mountain Province – The leadership vacuum resulting from the demise of Gov. Leonard Mayaen has been filled up with the swearing in of Vice Gov. Bonifacio Lacwasan, Jr. here Tuesday.

On the same occasion, senior board member Francis Tauli was sworn in as vice governor.

Lacwasanwill serve the unexpired term of Mayaen which will end on the last day of June.

In his short remarks after the oath taking, Lacwasan accepted with ”heavy heart” the responsibilities provincial chief executive. “It is just so bad that I am assuming the governorship this way. But with a heavy heart, I will take over the post vacated by our boss whom I know is a great friend and a good teacher,” Lacwasan said.  

With government employees in attendance, Lacwasan said he will continue with the programs of Mayaen particularly in seeing through implementation of “pro-employee” policies started by the late governor.

“With the cooperation of the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, I will try my best to ensure the realization of his dreams for the employees. We will make every effort to implement the salary standardization law and ensure continuance of other benefits for our provincial work force,” Lacwasan said.

The new governor added that there will be no movement and reassignment of provincial employees up to June 30. “I will maintain the status quo as far as the existing assignments of provincial employees is concerned,” he said.

This, as the death of Mayaen drew differing legal opinions on who will replace him.

Talks are rife whether he will be substituted by a family member or special elections will be conducted.

Lawyer Ricardo Lampac, Comelec officer based in Benguet and formerly assigned as Provincial Comelec officer for  Mountain Province said Mayaen cannot be substituted because he ran as an Independent  candidate  in reference to Omnibus Election Code as amended by RA 7166.

Comelec rules provide that “only a person belonging to, and certified by, the same political party may file a certificate of candidacy to replace the candidate who died, withdrew or was disqualified.”

Mayaen died due to cardiac arrest March 31 and was buried Friday in his residential compound in Baguio City

It was known that a member of the family of the late Mayaen filed for substitution for the uncontested gubernatorial position at the Comelec Central office in Manila.

For the remaining term of Mayaen until June 30 this year, the law of succession provides Lacwasan assumes as governor in an acting capacity with Tauli  as vice governor also in an acting capacity until June 30.

After June 30, if there is no replacement on the position left by Mayaen, Lacwasan, if he wins as vice governor shall assume as governor in an acting capacity, Lampac said.

 Lacwasan ran for vice governor along with opponent candidate Albert Paday-os in same position.

 It was known Paday-os wanted to file his candidacy for governor but  board member Salvador Dalang  encouraged him  instead to file his candidacy for  vice governorship.

With the filing of petition for substitution by a family member of Mayaen, Comelec shall rule whether such is in order otherwise declare special  elections, Lampac said.

The closest event that a special elections may be had shall be October this year in synchrony with the barangay elections.

Unless if barangay elections shall be postponed is another story.  

 On the other hand, reports say that lawyer Julia ElenitaTabanginCapuyan, newly-installed Mountain Province provincial election supervisor, said that the family member who will replace the late governor should have similar surname as substitution is allowed under election rules even if he or she is an independent candidate.

Meanwhile, Lacwasan started his political career as a barangay chairman of Otucan Sur. He was consequently elected as municipal president of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) in 1995 and two years later as Provincial ABC president up to 2007. As provincial ABC president, he sat at the provincial legislative board as an ex-officio member.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics diploma from the University of Manila and finished a diploma course in Local Governance and Development at the Development Academy of the Philippines.  

On the other hand, Tauli a native of Sagada, is a licensed geodetic engineer and a civil engineering course graduate.

Tauli once worked as an engineering assistant at the Sagada Municipal government before entering politics in 1998 where he was elected as a municipal councilor for two successive terms.

He won the vice mayorship in 2004.

A first termer at the Sangguniang  Panlalawigan he got the highest percentage votes in the 2013 elections among the eight elected members of the provincial board.

Lacwasan and Tauli come from entrenched political clans.

The late BonifacioLacwasan, Sr. was a former member of the provincial board and later as deputy governor of the sub-province of Bontoc during the old Mountain Province days.

George Tauli, Sr., father of the newly sworn vice governor, was a long time Barangay captain in Sagada and, for three times, was the municipal ABC president.