San Isidro Councilor Gloria Gementiza, after a three-year hiatus, won anew the Philippine Councilors’ League (PCL) presidency, earning herself a seat in the Provincial Board (PB) and contributing to the Aumentado administration’s bid to attain majority seats in the legislative body.
Gementiza who garnered 295 votes won over incumbent president Councilor Jescelo Adiong of Loay who secured 176 votes during the PCL elections held at the Bohol Tropics Resort in Tagbilaran City on Tuesday.
Shortly after poll results were announced at dawn on Wendesday, Gementiza was proclaimed by Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) provincial director Jerome Gonzales and PB secretary Boni Quirog.
Votes of 472 councilors for various positions in the PCL leadership were counted manually.
Gementiza, who deemed her victory as “overwhelming,” assured that she will be consultative and will address concerns raised by councilors during the previous administration.
“Og dunay pagkulang atong koreksyonan ug atoang e-simplify then open ako sa mga ideas sa atong mga kauban,” said Gementiza.
Gementiza will take her oath of office as ex-officio member of the PB and PCL president before Aumentado, who is expected to return to Bohol later this week from Manila.
She thanked her political allies Aumentado, Vice Governor Victor Balite, Second District Rep. Vanessa Aumentado and Third District Rep. Alexie Tutor for supporting her candidacy.
Gementiza’s return to the PB lowers the number of opposition members in the legislative body.
Adiong, whose bid for the PCL presidency was heavily supported by former governor Art Yap and former vice governor Rene Relampagos in 2019, was one of the eight opposition members in the 13-strong PB.
His exit cuts down the opposition’s lead in numbers from 8-5 to 7-6.
The pending Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections will also determine the composition of the PB in terms of alliances as both the Association of Barangay Captains and SK Federation have one seat each for their presidents in the lawmaking body.
The current ABC president Romulo Cepedoza and SK federated president Victor Bolos are both allied with the opposition.
Meanwhile, Gementiza’s running mate Tagbilaran City Councilor Nicanor Besas of Tagbilaran City who ran unopposed also claimed the PCL’s vice presidency.
Besas, who is Tutor’s father, got 391 votes.
Three other councilors who also ran unopposed, namely Tiburcio Bullecer, Jr. of Loay, Darwin Tan of Guindulma and Pedro Literatus of Loon were elected vice president for external affairs, assistant auditor and assistant business manager, respectively.
The following councilors are the other new officials of the PCL:
- Vito Rapal of Corella – vice president for internal affairs
- Delia Lasco sa Tubigon – president for the first district
- Richard Mier of Sagbayan – vice president for second district
- Victoriano Jotojot of Mabini – vice president for third district
- Arnulfo Turco, Jr. of Maribojoc – secretary general
- Rommel Cagulada of Valencia – deputy secretary general
- Along Olandria of Candijay – treasurer
- Rhea Martinez of Dauis – assistant treasurer
- Virgelle Gail Jao of Tubihon – Auditor
(R. Tutas)