Chavit contests poll board rule he cannot run in town

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – Former Ilocos Sur governor Luis “Chavit” Singson cannot run for mayor in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, according to the Election Registration Board (ERB), in a decision  Jan. 19 as it denied Singson’s petition to transfer his residency from Vigan City to Barangay Sulvec in Narvacan. 

“A vote of 2-1 disapproved the application… by reasons of lack of residency…it is quite unbelievable for him to be living in a very simple house, no personal things like clothes, toiletries, stove, cooking and eating utensils inside the house that would indicate that the applicant is living in there,” the ERB’s certificate of disapproval said. 

Narvacan municipal election registrar BabelynGuirnalda and education district supervisor Alegria Molina voted against the petition.

Town treasurer Zenaida Salang voted for it. 

Sources said Singson plans to run against Zuriel Zaragosa, whose father, National Tobacco Administration administrator Edgardo Zaragosa, is running against Ilocos Sur Gov. Ryan Singson in 2016.

The governor and Zaragosa have been at odds over the situation of tobacco farmers in the region.                      

Despite this, “Chavit” said he believes his political pursuit in Narvacan does not end with the ERB’s rejection of his transfer residency petition from Vigan City to the said town.

Calling long distance from London Tuesday  afternoon to this correspondent, Singson said the denial is being appealed and that, ultimately, it is the people who will decide if he may run for an elective position in Narvacan in May, 2016.

Earlier, Narvacan Mayor Zuriel Zaragoza denied any influence over the decision of the local ERB in disqualifying Singson, who is eyeing his position in the next elections.

“The members of the ERB are well-respected and the merit of their decision is based on the evidence,” Zaragoza said. “We don’t have time to entertain the move of our former governor to transfer his residency in our town.”

However, Singson said that the one who filed the opposition to his transfer of residency was an aunt of Zaragoza who, according to the former governor, is facing a number of estafa cases. –June Elias, Mar T. Supnad and Freddie G. Lazaro