Ibarreta is Aklan's SP member, says Comelec
BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

KALIBO, Aklan – Lawyer Selwyn Ibarreta (Liberal Party) is the senior board member of Aklan Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP), according to Commission on Elections (Comelec) Aklan.

This was disclosed by Comelec acting Provincial Election Officer Lorena Tumbagahan after weeks of ‘confusion’ who should sit as Aklan's senior SP member.

In the May 14 local elections, former Aklan provincial director and oppositionist Nemesio Neron (Nacionalista Party) garnered 47,264 votes out of 148,401 registered voters in the Eastern District.

Neron’s vote is also the highest votes tallied by an SP member-elect in the Eastern and Western District, but, his total votes is good for the 4th spot in the ranking of Comelec.

Ibarreta, a Tibyog Akean stalwart, tallied 44,137 votes out of 125,308 registered voters in the Western District or 35.22 percent compared to 31.85 percent of Neron.

“I respect the ranking of Comelec for SP members, but until now my party mates might question the ranking,“ said Neron over a radio interview.

In the history of Aklan SP, outgoing Aklan Vice Gov. Ronquillo Tolentino was elected as senior board member in 2001, incoming vice governor Gabrielle Calizo (1998) and former Banga mayor Dr. Stevens Fuentes (2004), were all from the Eastern District and they got also the highest votes.

Neron said “the tradition of electing an SP member from Eastern District normally with the highest votes should prevail,” but, Comelec Aklan said otherwise.

In its official ranking, Ibarreta is followed by four administration-reelectionists in the Western District – Pedro Garcia (Kampi) with 41,646 votes (33.23%), Jose Yap (Lakas-CMD) with 41,314 votes (32.97%) and Gerick Templonuevo (Lakas-CMD), 36,915 (29.46%) for the fifth spot.Incumbent Ramon Gelito (LP-Western District) got 34,046 votes (27.17%).The 7th to 10th spots are occupied by SP members from the Eastern District led by Dr. Daisy Briones (NP) with 40,250 votes (27.12%).

Lawyer Plaridel Morania (Lakas-CMD) grabbed the 8th spot with 38,956 votes (26.25%) followed by former Akelco board president Rodson Mayor (NP), 38,390 (25.87%) and former vice governor Jean Rodriquez (Kampi) with 34,606 votes (23.32%).

Under Article 83 of the Local Government Code of 1991, the ranking of the Sanggunian for the purposes of succession is determined on “the basis of the proportion of votes obtained by each winning candidate to the total number of registered voters in each district in the immediately preceding local elections.”

The Comelec has 60 days from the last local elections to prepare the ranking of Sanggunian members.