The Commission on Elections has no choice but to hold special polls in the fifth district of Negros Occidental, but has yet to meet en banc to decide when it will be, COMELEC spokesman James Jimenez said yesterday.

House Resolution 2171, adopted as HR 00248 Monday night, certified the existence of a vacancy in the House of Representatives, following the death of Rep. Ignacio Arroyo Jr. of the fifth congressional district of Negros Occidental, and called for a special election to fill his post, Rep. Alfredo Abelaro Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) said.

The approved resolution was transmitted to the COMELEC on Tuesday for it to set the date for the special election, Benitez said.

Jimenez told the DAILY STAR that the COMELEC met en banc Wednesday and yesterday to discuss poll automation for the May 2013 regular polls, but the 5th district special election was not on the agenda.

However, he said, it is it is possible that it could be tackled in the en banc session of the commission today.

COMELEC deputy executive director for operations, Bartolome Sinocruz, who is in charge of special elections, said no date for the fifth district election has been set yet, Jimenez added.

Once a vacancy in the House is declared, and as long as it is done before the one year period to the next regular election, the COMELEC has no choice but to hold it, Jimenez said, adding that the poll body has the resources for the exercise.

Negros Occidental Provincial Elections Supervisor Jessie Suarez said a special election in the fifth district could cost up to P10 million.

He said the COMELEC head office has already asked him to submit data on the number of voters and precincts in the fifth district of Negros Occidental.

GRACE IBUNA

Among those named as potential candidates for the fifth congressional seat are Negros Occidental are Binalbagan Mayor Alejandro Mirasol, Board Members Melvin Ibañez and Emilio Yulo III, former Kasangga Rep. Ma Lourdes Arroyo Lesaca, and former Board Member Enrique Montilla.

Businesswoman Grace Ibuna, partner of Rep. Arroyo, yesterday told the DAILY STAR that, while she is not closing the door to running for the fifth congressional seat, she really does not know how she wants to proceed with her life after the death of the congressman.

She, however, said she will be in Negros Occidental soon and hopes to meet with Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. and the leaders of the fifth district.

What she is sure of is that she will return to the Fifth District soon to launch the Ignacio Arroyo Jr. Foundation that will continue the work her partner had started in the district, Ibuna said.

If she does not run for congress, she said she will support whoever she believes can finish the work started by Rep. Arroyo in the fifth district, citing his school and road projects, among others.

She is leaving everything up to faith and destiny, she added.*CPG

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