Comelec unseats Silay mayor

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has declared a businessman as the "rightful" mayor of Silay City in Negros Occidental, Sun-Star Bacolod (www.sunstar.com.ph) reported Friday night. But instead of a three-year term, trader Jose "Oti" Montelibano will get less than three months to discharge his duties as city mayor, after the Comelec declared him winner over sitting Mayor Carlo Gamban by a 138-vote margin. It also indicated the term may be much shorter as Gamban said the Comelec decision is "not yet final and executory." Gamban pointed out the decision was just from the First Division of the Comelec and not en banc, so his lawyers can still seek a motion for reconsideration. The Sun-Star report said the four-page resolution penned by Comelec Commissioners Resurreccion Borra and Romeo Brawner showed Montelibano got 19,392 votes against Gamban's 19,254 in the May 10, 2004 elections. Montelibano questioned the result and asked the Board of Election Canvassers then headed by Dr. Eva Belicena to suspend the proclamation of Gamban. The Comelec Regional Office in Western Visayas, however, decided to declare Gamban as winner despite an appeal from Montelibano in June 2004. "This is my long awaited victory," Montelibano said together with his supporters who celebrated his victory in Locsin Street, Silay City. - GMANews.TV