Bicol mayor delaying proclamation of 2023 BSKE winners in 7 barangays, Garcia says

Commission on Elections chairman George Garcia on Tuesday warned a local official from the Bicol region for delaying the proclamation of Sangguniang Kabataan election (BSKE) winners in at least 7 areas.

“To our local officials, iilan lang naman, hindi naman ganun karami, hindi makapagproklama ang aming Barangay Board of Canvassers (BBOC) kasi pinakikialaman ng ibang mayors sa bandang Bicol. This is a warning: mayor, kilala mo kung sino ka, huwag mo pilitin na i-name ka namin,” Garcia said in a news conference.

(The BBOC cannot proclaim the winners because of the intervention of some mayors. This mayor, you know who you are, don’t force us to name you.)

“Pinapakialaman…huwag na raw muna i-proclaim. Kaya inatasan namin ang regional director [namin] na BBOC should proclaim [the winners] today at all costs. Wala tayong pakialam sa kung sino iyang tumatawag na iyan o nagpepressure kasi baka magalit raw iyong mayor,” Garcia added.

(The mayor is trying to intervene, saying the winners should not yet be proclaimed. We told our regional director that the BBOC should proclaim the winners today at all costs. We don’t care who is calling or exerting pressure.)

Garcia said local officials should not usurp the Comelec’s job to conduct elections just because their bets lost the race.

“Ibigay niyo sa amin ang trabaho. Trabaho namin iyan eh. Huwag niyo kaming pakialaman. Kung bata niyo iyong natatalo, wala kaming kaming pakialam roon,” Garcia stressed.

(Let us do our job because it is our job. Back off. If your bet is losing, we don’t care.)

“Hindi naman kami nagpatalo sa mga bata-bata ninyo,” Garcia added.

(We are not the ones who made your bets lose.) —VAL, GMA Integrated News