House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte and four Negros Occidental solons have filed a resolution calling for a special election for the fifth congressional seat of Negros Occidental following the death of Rep. Ignacio Arroyo Jr..

Arroyo’s remains arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport via Dubai on board Emirates Airlines flight EK 334 around 9:45 last night accompanied by his long-time partner Grace Ibuna, her daughter Gabrielle, and his daughter Bianca Arroyo.

Ibuna told reporters at the airport she only wanted a dignified burial for the congressman and to fulfill his last wish to return to Negros Occidental.

“We will come home to Negros. That’s his last wish,” Ibuna told reporters.

Meanwhile, House Resolution No. 2171 certifying to the existence of a vacancy in the House of Representatives, particularly in the seat allotted to the fifth congressional district of the province of Negros Occidental, and calling for a special election to fill such vacancy has been filed by Belmonte, and Negros Occidental Reps. Julio Ledesma (1st District), Alfredo Marañon III (2nd District), Alfredo Benitez (3rd District), and Mercedes Alvarez (6th District).

The resolution has been forwarded to the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms headed by Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. for discussion, Benitez said.

The resolution said a special election will “uphold the system of democratic representation in government” and will “ensure the people of the fifth district of Negros Occidental are not denied proper representation in the 15th Congress.”

Republic Act 7166 or the Synchronized Election Act of 1991 provides that in case a permanent vacancy occurs in the House of Representatives at least one year before the expiration of the term, the Comelec shall call and hold a special election to fill the vacancy not earlier than 60 days nor longer than 90 days after the occurrence of the vacancy.

Negros Occidental Board Member Melvin Ibañez yesterday said the majority of the people in the fifth district favor the holding of a special election to fill the post vacated by Arroyo.

The names of Ibañez, Ibuna, Binalbagan Mayor Alejandro Mirasol and Board Member Emilio Yulo III are among those being floated as possible candidates for the fifth congressional seat .

Asked if he would go for the post, Ibañez said he would leave it to his party, the United Negros Alliance to decide whom it will field.

Ibañez, Mirasol and Yulo are members of UNA.

In the past, Ibuna had expressed interest in running for the fifth congressional seat when Rep. Arroyo was still alive, Ibañez said.

Arroyo was on his third term as congressman and was not up for re-election in May next year.

“She (Grace) was not elected before, so she was not a member of the party. But with due respect to Congressman Iggy, whom we respected, I know he endorsed Grace so we will have to talk about it with her,” he said.

When asked if she would run for Arroyo’s post, Ibuna in April last year said the 2013 congressional race was too far away to answer that question.

“So many things can happen between today and 2013,” she said then.

But she also said she will not fight destiny.

RETURN

Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the return of the remains of Arroyo to the fifth district of Negros Occidental next week.

Arroyo died in London on January 26 after a long battle with cirrhosis of the liver, with Ibuna by his side.

The return of his body to the Philippines last night had been delayed by a battle over its custody between Ibuna and his second wife, Alicia “Aleli” Arroyo, who have since reached a compromise agreement.

Aleli was not at the NAIA last night when the congressman’s body arrived.

The remains will be brought to the Arroyo ancestral home at La Vista Subdivision in Quezon City today and will stay there until Saturday.

After a 10 a.m. mass on Saturday the body will be taken to Aleli’s house also in La Vista where it will stay until Monday, when it is moved to the House of Representatives for a necrological service.

At 4 p.m. Monday the body will be flown to the Bacolod Silay Airport and will be brought directly to Binalbagan town for a two-day wake, before being flown back to Manila early Thursday (March 8) morning.

The body will be brought back to the Arroyo ancestral home on March 8 and buried at the Manila North Cemetery near the grave of his mother Friday morning.

Ibañez said he was told Arroyo’s body will be accompanied by Ibuna and his daughters Dina Tantoco and Bianca Arroyo on its return to Negros .

The body will be accompanied by a caravan of friends to Binalbagan where masses and necrological services will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, Ibañez said.

Since the wake cannot be held at the Binalbagan Church, it could be held at the Mt. Carmel Building, he said.*CPG

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