Negros Occ. town mayor, facing poll protest, dies

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — The newly re-elected mayor of San Enrique town, Negros Occidental, who is facing electoral protest, died of multiple organ failure early morning yesterday (Friday), his family said.

Mayor Mario Magno, 64, would have been on his second term.

Dr. Carlitos Magno, the mayor's brother, said Mario had been suffering from complications of a kidney transplant, and had been in and out of the hospital since early this year.

He died at 3:15 a.m. at the Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital (also called Riverside Hospital) in Bacolod City.

Magno had already been proclaimed as winner in the recent May 9 elections. He had already taken his oath  of office. He had served the town as councilor for two years before he became mayor.

Vice Mayor Abner Jardinico will take over the remaining days of Magno's first term as mayor until June 30.

As for Magno's new term that starts on July 1, the rule of succession applies. Winning the vice mayoralty race in San Enrique is Jilson Tubillara, also a former mayor of the said town.

Filing the electoral protest against Magno is Jardinico, who challenged his re-election by filing an electoral protest last week.

Jardinico garnered 4,885 votes in a losing bid to Magno, who got 7,906 votes and was as proclaimed the day after the May 9 elections.

This week, a local court has ordered  the manual recount of votes cast in the mayoral race in San Enrique.

San Enrique Election Officer Ma. Vicel  Diancin said Tuesday that Bago City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Frances Guanzon directed her and the municipal treasurer to turn over the ballot boxes, election paraphernalia, and election documents to the court Friday (yesterday).

The court order came after an electoral protest was filed last week  by losing mayoral candidate –Jardinico – the incumbent vice mayor.

San Enrique has a total of 16,417 registered voters in 10 barangays, with 27 clustered precincts and nine voting centers. (FREEMAN)