ILOILO CITY (PNA) – President-apparent Benigno Simeon Aquino III will induct into office this city’s new set of officials in June. Mayor Jerry P. Treñas made the announcement last week, even as he said talks are ongoing with the Aquino camp on the final schedule of the oath-taking. Treñas is Congressman-elect of the lone congressional district in Iloilo City. He said it is but fitting that the country’s new president will swear him into office, as well as the new city mayor, vice mayor and councilors. Elected as new Iloilo City mayor is current Vice Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, while Councilor Jose Espinosa III will replace him in the said post.

Comprising the set of reelected councilors are Nielex Tupas, Jeffrey Ganzon, Perla Zulueta, Lyndon Acap and Ely Estante.

New city councilors are David Jamora, Edward Yee, Jason Gonzales, Joshua Alim, Rodel Agado, R. Leone Gerochi and Plaridel Nava II. Treñas urged Ilonggos to support the new set of city officials in order that the programs and projects he started in his administration would be sustained.

Traffic spat kills losing poll bet

CEBU CITY – What started as an ordinary traffic stop turned bloody when a losing candidate for councilor in a Cebu town died as he grappled with a gun held by a traffic enforcer just outside the office of the Manila Bulletin’s Cebu Branch in Jakosalem Street last week. Orson Sonny Ornopia, 34, a resident of Barangay Tabok, Mandaue City, died on the spot after the .45 caliber gun being held by traffic enforcer Raul Langid allegedly went off five times. A bullet also hit the traffic enforcer’s shoulder, said homicide investigator Alex Dacua. Manila Bulletin security guard on-duty Macario Limbago said the incident took place past 9:30 p.m. He said he saw a traffic car trailing the multicab van driven by the fatality. The van stopped right in front of the Manila Bulletin building from where witness Limbago saw Ornopia and Langid arguing heatedly. Limbago said he suddenly saw the two men grappling with the .45 caliber gun in the possession of Langid, although he stressed that he didn’t notice who pulled out the gun. (Mars W. Mosqueda Jr.)

Monitoring barangay polls easier – PPCRV

ILOILO CITY (PNA) – The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) here is confident that henceforth, all future elections, including the incoming barangay elections this October, will be more fast and orderly. PPCRV Iloilo head Monsignor Meliton Oso said the success of the recent automated polls showed that voters were more informed and vigilant of their political rights. Oso said with the new electoral process, voting in the barangay level are expected to be speedier and more orderly. Monitoring electoral fraud will also be easier in the barangay polls since the PPCRV and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) already have ample practice in the recent May polls, he said.Oso said the PPCRV has almost perfected its monitoring system since it has expanded its voter’s education programs to schools, private groups and the barangay level. He hoped that Comelec will find more stringent ways to solve electoral problems such as vote-buying, which is common in the barangay level. In the last synchronized automated polls, the PPCRV had more than 4,000 volunteers, mostly youth, Oso said.