The Commission on Elections Office of the Deputy Executive Director for Operations has confirmed receipt of the letter of Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia asking it to schedule a plebiscite on December 15 for the ratification of the creation of Barangay Paglaum.

Bacolod COMELEC Officer Mavil Majarucon-Sia also said that the ODEDO also received Monday the original documents submitted by the lawyer of the petitioners of Paglaum and a certification from the City Treasurer’s Office signed by Annabelle Badajos, on the availability of the required P3 million fund.

However, she said Gemeno Ymballa, the lawyer of the petitioners from Paglaum, informed her that they have a problem in securing a certification from the National Statistics Office on the population of Paglaum, which is one of the requirements under the Local Government Code.

Majarucon-Sia said Ymballa had requested for the certification from the NSO more than two weeks ago but have not gotten a response yet, and without this, the ODEDO cannot submit their documents to the COMELEC en banc, she said.

“We are already pressed for time because it is November now and they are asking for a plebiscite to be held on December 15,” Majarucon-Sia said.

She added that it will depend on the COMELEC en banc if they can tackle the matter, since its priority now are issues on disqualification cases filed as the deadline is on December 21.

If the plebiscite pushes through on December 15, the prohibited period will set in on November 15 that is next week already, Majarucon-Sia said.

“I do not know if they can make it because the prohibited period is 30 days and this involves activities that should be prohibited during elections, like the gun ban,” she said.

The COMELEC Bacolod Field Office cannot do anything unless they receive an order from Manila to prepare for a plebiscite, she added.

The ordinance creating Barangay Paglaum was passed by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod on September 11 and was signed by Leonardia on September 26.

If the plebiscite cannot push through on December 15 and the SP decides to amend the date of the plebiscite, it should be after the May 2013 elections, Majarucon-Sia said.

This is because the prohibited period in relation to the May elections will take effect January, she added.*CGS

back to top