A LOCAL councilor is questioning a congressman’s support of a local candidate for the October 25 barangay elections, which runs counter to the Commission on Election’s non-partisan ruling.

Cagayan de Oro Representative Jose Benjamin “Benjo” Benaldo (first district) is reportedly supporting the candidacy of Peter Pimentel, a contender for the position of Barangay 4 Chairman.

Councilor Juan Sia (second district) said he received a text message from Pimentel, a former barangay councilor, in which he admitted getting Benaldo’s support for his bid in Barangay 4 – a bailiwick of Sia’s.

Sia said Barangay 4, which houses different business establishments with only 200 registered voters, has been Benaldo’s “subject of interest.” Read rest of story

A BARANGAY councilor seeking reelection denied that his term has already expired and is no longer eligible to run in the same position in the October 25 barangay elections.

Ariel Nambatac, a candidate for reelection in Barangay Indahag, said all the negative reports about his candidacy are not true.

Nambatac first ran and won in the 1997 barangay elections but he has not fully served his first term as barangay councilor because he was suspended for five months due to corruption charges.

He ran again in the 2002 and 2007 elections, respectively, and won in both contests.

Nambatac said a decision by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Northern Mindanao allows him to run for reelection in the Oct. 25 barangay elections.  Read rest of story

A THIRD-TERM barangay chairman who earlier filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for the October 25 village elections has withdrawn his bid Friday before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Cagayan de Oro City.

Village chief Carmelito Damo of Barangay Indahag said he filed his candidacy last October 1 based on an order from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Manila that he has not fully served his term after he was suspended for 90 days sometime in February 2002 for administrative case.

However, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Northern Mindanao issued a list of those third-termer barangay chairmen who are no longer qualified to run last September 30. Read rest of story

SOME 100 people have filed so far their certificates of candidacy (COC) for the different positions for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in Cagayan de Oro City.

Among the most notable personalities who filed their COCs at the local office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) are members of Barangay 18 chairman Leonardo Generale’s group.

Generale’s group wore t-shirts emblazoned with the logo Padayon Pilipino, an indigenous political party headed by Mayor Vicente Emano. Read rest of story

CAGAYAN DE ORO — The “unauthorized” reconfiguration of Compact Flash (CF) cards at the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Northern Mindanao has spawned a new twist to the election controversy in Cagayan de Oro.

Lawyers of a defeated mayoralty camp claimed they have already pieced together “the jigsaw puzzle” behind the dumped poll paraphernalia. Read rest of story

CAGAYAN DE ORO — The House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms is set to open Monday all the compact flash cards (CFCs) recovered at a dumpsite in Cagayan de Oro days after the May 10 elections.

Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez (second district) said the opening of the CF cards to determine their contents, would provide “answers” on the allegations of widespread cheating in the city. Read rest of story

CAGAYAN DE ORO — Undetermined units of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines intended for use in Northern Mindanao during the May 10 automated elections are already in a guarded warehouse in Cagayan de Oro, poll officials said.

Lawyer Carlito Ravelo, Commission on Elections (Comelec) provincial supervisor, said the PCOS machines said will be delivered to their destinations on May 5 for testing and resealing before the actual elections. Read rest of story

CAGAYAN DE ORO — Cagayan de Oro mayoralty candidate Rolando Uy of Lakas-Kampi-CMD leads over his closest rival, Vice Mayor Vicente Emano of PaDayon-PMP by at least 12 percent, a survey showed.

Majority of the 600 registered voters randomly selected for the survey, conducted by the research arm of the Xavier University (XU). Read rest of story

CAGAYAN DE ORO — Two Cagayan de Oro vice mayoralty candidates traded barbs and renewed old allegations during ABS-CBN’s “Harapan”, aired live over its FM station and replayed on TV Tuesday.

Monday’s event at ABS-CBN compound in Barangay Bulua provided a glimpse of the actual campaign pitches of two major political parties clashing for the May 10 elections, the Lakas-Kampi-CMD headed by Representative Rolando Uy and the local incumbents led by Vice Mayor Vicente Emano. Read rest of story

CAGAYAN DE ORO — Two mayoralty candidates vowed to address the anomalies hounding the Cagayan de Oro Water District (Cowd) once elected into office.

They also agreed that the ailing water utility has become “politicized” over the years. Read rest of story