At least 10 carts were used to transport documents for the election recall petition against Mayor Dellosa from Barangay Poblacion to the Commission on Elections municipal office. PHOTO BY DINO BALABO
BALIWAG, Bulacan—Despite a recent resolution by the Commission on Elections against recall elections, a similar petition was filed here yesterday against Mayor Caroline Dellosa.
Dellosa is however unfazed, noting that while the signers in the petition cited loss of confi dence, she said that majority of local residents still trust her capability. For her part, Gina Llave, the municipal election officer who received the petition said that they have only until Friday to finish evaluation of its form and substance.
Led by Ramon Payumo, Bernard Fabian, and Angelita Santos, the petitioners cited loss of confi dence in the administration of Dellosa due to deteriorating peace and order and incompetence.
The petitioners also cited “martial law-like” disorder, citing the armed presence of military personnel in this bustling municipality. They also claimed that Dellosa’s husband, a Public Works and Highways District Engineer in Cebu was allowed by the mayor to ”take over the government in behalf of the mayor-elect.”
Other basis for the loss of confidence were alleged threats against local barangay chairmen and stagnation of progress as manifested in the Baliwag Pubolic Market where local vendors pays for space twice a day for fear that their permits will be revoked.
A copy of the petition obtained by Punto! showed a total of 23,925 signatories. The said number is more than 10,000 of the required 15 percent of the total voting population of this town which is equivalent to only 13,722.
The said petition was received by municipal election officer Llave who explained that based on the law, if the total voting population of a local government unit was at least 75,000 and not more than 300,000, the total required signatures for a recall petition would be at least 15 percent but not less than 15,000.
Llave explained that it is almost similar with the recall petition submitted against Gov. Wilhelmino Alvarado last April. In the said recall petition against Alvarado, the law required only 10 percent of the total voting population of the province.
As this developed, Dellosa said that it’s the right of the petitioners to file a recall against her. She stressed that she is only doing her job as mayor and denied claims that her husband had taken over the municipal government.
She also said that that on weekends when her husband is in town, he represents her in social functions, but not her legal function as town mayor.
Earlier, the Comelec issued a resolution suspending all procedures for recall petitions citing lack of funds. However, petitioners here said that Comelec’s lack of funds is only for 2014 and it might have additional funds by 2015.
For her part, Llave said that recall petitions only have a shelf life until May next year because the law is specific that it must only be implemented one year after an election and one year before the next election.
