FOUR Mindanao congressmen (including Deputy House Speaker Pangalian Balindong), 12 mayors and 11 vice mayors were among those told by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to vacate their posts for failure to submit on time and in prescribed forms reports on their donors and expenditures in the last elections, according to a report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ).
PCIJ’s report said 4 provincial board members and 129 city or municipal councilors likewise have to vacate their posts.
The Comelec, according to PCIJ, wrote House Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” R. Belmonte Jr and Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas to order the elected legislative and local government officials to vacate their posts until they have fully complied with the law on filing of their Statement of Election Contributions and Expenditures (SOCEs).
Balindong (LP, 2nd Dist., Lanao del Sur) reportedly did not submit his SOCE; while Misamis Occidental Rep. Henry Oaminal (NP, 2nd Dist.), North Cotabato Rep. Nancy Catamco (LP, 2nd Dist.) and Sultan Kudarat Rep. Arnulfo Go (NUP, 2nd Dist.) did not personally sign their SOCEs.
(See PCIJ story for nationwide breakdown.)
The elected mayors who did not submit their SOCEs or those whose SOCEs are with deficiencies are Flora Villarosa (LP, Siayan, Zamboanga del Norte), Randy Climaco (NP, Tungawan, Zamboanga Sibugay), Dodong Dandasan (BPP, Dangcagan, Bukidnon), Gregorio Gue (BPP, Quezon, Bukidnon), Levi Edma Sr. (BPP, San Fernando, Bukidnon), Juanidy Viña Jr. (NUP, Concepcion, Misamis Oriental), Tony Damandaman (UNA, Santo Niño, South Cotabato), Dibu Tuan (T’boli, South Cotabato), Rustam Ismael (LP, Lantawan, Basilan), Lilah Mindalano (LP, Madamba, Lanao del Sur), Ramon Piang Sr. (LP, Upi, Maguindanao), and Genito Guardo (Lakas, Cantilan, Surigao del Sur).
The vice mayors in Comelec’s list are Herminio Jamandron (LP, Gutalac, Zamboanga del Norte), Daisy Limbang (LP, Siayan, Zamboanga del Norte), Abduraup Abison (NP, Tungawan, Zambo Sibugay), Boboy Ayuban (BPP, Dangcagan, Bukidnon), Ruben Omandam (LP, Concepcion, Misamis Occidental), John Allan Villarin (UNA, Santo Niño, South Cotabato ), Cesar Dasilao (UNA, Tantangan, South Cotabato), Gani Utoh (UNA, Lantawan, Basilan), Dagoroan Mindalano (LP, Madamba, Lanao del Sur), Kapitan Tomawis (Tamparan, Lanao del Sur), and Alexis Platon (LP, Upi, Maguindanao). (MindaNews)