Ousted Agusan Norte mayor reinstated

BUTUAN CITY – The Commission on Elections en banc reinstated Carmen, Agusan del Norte Mayor Ramon “Monching” Calo on Friday after the poll body ruled the ousted town chief was the legitimate winning mayoralty bet in the May 2007 local election.

It will be recalled that on Feb. 8, 2008, Regional Trial Court Presiding Judge Francisco Maclang of RTC- Branch 3, Butuan City penned a 101-page decision ordering the Agusan del Norte Provincial Comelec office to install Calo’s brother, Jesus “Toto” Calo as the duly elected municipal mayor of Carmen, Agusan del Norte.

Results of the Comelec canvassing and counting claimed the ousted Carmen mayor had a margin of votes over his elder brother and political rival Jesus “Toto” Calo by 291 votes.

But Maclang in his 101-page decision found discrepancies in the 316 ballots allegedly written by only one or two persons in favor of then Lakas mayoralty candidate Ramon Calo and some 985 ballots cast with initials “RMC” which refers to the initials Ramon M. Calo.

On Feb. 14, Calo questioned Maclang’s decision by filing a notice of appeal before the Comelec in Manila.

Calo wondered why the “RMC” initials were not credited to him by Maclang when said initials have been accepted and acknowledged by the Comelec when he filed his certificate of candidacy for the May 14, 2007 elections.

Calo hinted he was puzzled why some ballots written by one or two persons in favor of him were deducted from his votes when this is allowed by law especially if voters are illiterate and allegedly are not capable of writing the names of candidates of their choice.

But Maclang instead issued a writ of execution for the implementation of his earlier order for the local Comelec, the DILG and other concerned government agencies to install Calo’s brother Jesus ‘Toto” Calo as duly elected mayor of Carmen.     – Ben Serrano