-- A special provincial board of canvassers (SPBOC) yesterday finally proclaimed the elected officials of Antique province, led by Governor Salvacion Zaldivar-Perez, a month and a half after the May 14 elections.

The SPBOC, chaired by Daisy Real from the Commission on Elections central office, proclaimed Perez as the winner, with a margin of more than 13,000 votes against her closest rival, former assemblyman Arturo Pacificador based on results from the province's 1,855 precincts.

The proclamation was completed around 2 p.m. or four hours after the session started at around 10 a.m.

It was marred by a walkout of Pacificador's camp and the expulsion of one of his lawyers from the session room.

Pacificador immediately protested the proceedings when it started and questioned the legality of the SPBOC.

He urged the board to suspend its session until the Comelec en banc resolves the petition he filed questioning the creation of the board.

But Real maintained that they will continue with the proceedings because the Comelec's First Division mandated the board to finish the canvassing and proclaim the winning candidates.

"We are only going to suspend the canvass if we receive a TRO (temporary restraining order) from the Commission or the Supreme Court," Real repeatedly said as Pacificador continued his protests.

Pacificador questioned the June 7 order, issued by the First Division composed of commissioners Resurreccion Borra and Romeo Brawner, which relieved the previous SPBOC and created the present one chaired by Real.

"Is Commissioner Borra higher than the law itself?" Pacificador said during the session.

Amid the heated arguments, one of Pacificador's lawyers, John Mark Espera, was expelled from the session room at the old provincial capitol.

Jessie Suarez, Negros Occidental election officer (SPBOC vice chairperson), ordered the provincial police director to bring Espera out of the session room after Espera interrupted the proceedings.

"You are obliged to follow the law," Espera said as he slammed both his hands on a table.

When Suarez reminded him of the earlier instruction that only one lawyer for every party will be allowed to speak, Espera stood up and went out and challenged Suarez saying: "I will wait for you outside."

Pacificador also walked out from the proceedings around 11 a.m. after Real continued with the canvassing and informed Pacificador that the board has noted all his protests.

"You should suspend the canvassing. You are railroading the proceedings. You are trampling on the rights of the people," Pacificador said to the members of the SPBOC.

Former congressman Jovito Plameras, who was third in the gubernatorial race, and the lawyers of his camp joined Pacificador when the latter left the proceedings.

The former assemblyman vowed to file disbarment and administrative cases against Real, Suarez and Bacolod City election officer Mavil Majarucon (SPBOC secretary). He said he would also file a petition to annul the proclamation next week.

"I will ask Congress to impeach Borra for culpable violation of the Constitution," Pacificador said after he walked out of the proceedings.

Aside from Perez, the SPBOC also proclaimed Vice Governor Rhodora Cadiao and provincial board members Vincent Piccio III, Dante Beriong, Fernando Corvera, Tobias Javier, Alfonso Combong Jr., Rosie Dimamay, Calixto Zaldivar III, Errol Santillan, Hector Frangue and Benjamin Juanitas. The winning candidates, several of them in Barong Tagalog and gowns, had to wait for four hours and had to eat lunch inside the session room before they were proclaimed.*NPB

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