CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Paniqui, Tarlac Mayor Miguel Rivilla, a second cousin of Pres. Aquino, re-assumed post Monday after a 60- day suspension, amid revived tension created by the Commission on Election’s (Comelec) confusing stand on the mayoral controversy in the first class town.
“We don’t wish to antagonize the Comelec as we know it shall provide the lasting solution to our leadership problem but when its statements tend to confuse issues, people can’t help but question Comelec’s position on the truth and the legality of some actions,” said Manly Garcia, a communications specialist backing Rivilla.
Last Nov. 12, the First Division of the Comelec issued a resolution declaring as null and void the verdict of a “visiting judge” at the Paniqui Regional Trial Court (RTC) installing ast October Rommel David as mayor following a manual recount of ballots that invalidated over 3,000 votes favoring Rivilla.
But last Nov. 28 after hundreds of Rivilla’s supporters booted out Da-vid from the town hall, the Comelec issued yet another resolution noting that David had filed a motion for reconsideration and therefore could stay on as mayor pending en banc decision of the Comelec.
Despite this, Rivilla, secured by his supporters, returned to the mayor’s office yesterday after the lapse of his 60-day preventive suspension based on a case filed by David’s wife who is a member of the Paniqui legislative board.
The case stemmed from Rivilla’s alleged failure to seek the approval of the board to use local funds to pay the salaries of medical and other workers at the Paniqui district hospital.
Garcia recalled that last June 6, the Paniqui Regional Trial Court dismissed a protest filed by defeated mayoral candidate David of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) against Rivilla who won by over 3,000 votes the mayoralty race as independent candidate.
A few days later on June 26, the same RTC declared its decision final and executory amid the failure of David to file any petition on the initial June 6 verdict.
