Winners in Zamboanga City elections proclaimed

text & photos HADER GLANG

Vice Mayor-Elect Mannix Dalipe (2nd from left) joins for photo ops with political opponents Mayor Celso Lobregat, re-elected Congressman Erbie Fabian (right) and new 1st District Rep. Beng Climaco. Below photos show the councilors of District I and District II, taking their oath.

The city board of canvassers on Wednesday officially proclaimed the entire local winning candidates here, except for three re-electionist city councilors who did not show up for unknown reasons.

District I city election officer Roel Bengua, also chairman of the board of canvassers, proclaimed Mayor Celso Lobregat, Vice Mayor Mannix Dalipe, District I Congressman Beng Climaco, District II Congressman Erbie Fabian, and the 16 City Councilors.

Proclaimed newly-elected members of the City Council for District I: Charlie Mariano, Jimmy Cabato, Jawo Jimenez, Melchor Sadain, Leynet Abarro, Rodolfo Lim, Gerky Valesco, and Luis Biel III; for District II were: Asbi Edding, Kim Elago, Cesar Ituralde, Lilia Nuno, Elong Natividad, Nonong Guingona, Rudy Saavedra and Rey Candido.All the winning candidates except Vice Mayor Dalipe and Councilor Cabato took their oath before Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch XVI Presiding Judge Jesus Carbon after they were proclaimed as winners in the May 14 elections.

Dalipe told reporters he wants his family to be with him when he finally took his oath of office on June 30. He said he considers the affair a solemn one, so he wants his whole family to be with him during his oath taking.

The young Dalipe is a staunch critic of Mayor Lobregat.

For his part, Cabato who ran under the Nuevo Zamboanga, said he prefers lawyer Nancy Cuaresma to officiate in his oath-taking also to be held on June 30.

Sadain, also of the Nuevo Zamboanga, said he will again have a separate oath-taking with his whole family present at noon of June 30 to be officiated by Judge Tibing Asaali of RTC Branch XVII.

He said there is no problem even if the City Council is dominated by the Lobregat-led LDP because he can always cooperate with the programs of the mayor.

"I can also be a fiscalizer if I see the program is not good and not priority for the city. But rest assured we will support whatever programs of the mayor for the better of our city," he added.

The proclamation of Councilors Edding, Elago and Iturralde were represented by their next-of-kin.

The new set of elective city government officials will formally assume office on July 1 this year. The Lobregat-led LDP slate dominated the May elections with 15 of its bets winning the 20-contested local seats in the city.