TAYUG—With barely half a year left before another elected vice mayor assumes office, Madilyn Cabotaje-Ramirez took her oath of office last week as the duly elected vice mayor of this town after Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Jose Melo issued an order on January 4 declaring an en banc resolution of the poll body final and executory.

The en banc resolution was based on an election protest filed by Ramirez against Vice Mayor Janet Zaragoza.

“I am very happy with this decision,” Ramirez told The PUNCH.

Ramirez said despite the short period left for her to serve in office, she is happy to have been proven to be the duly elected vice mayor of the town.

“Like the saying, the truth will set you free for too long, this has been a burden to us with the delay in the issuance of decision because the regional trial court’s October 2008 decision already said that I won but sad to say, the decision was not executed,” she said.

The Comelec affirmed the decision of the Regional Trial Court branch 52 here that ruled Ramirez got 8,167 votes over Zaragoza ‘s 8,03,6 or a margin of 119 votes.

The writ of execution, signed by Director Betty Pizaña, clerk of the Commission, orders Zaragoza to: “(1) to cease and desist from discharging the powers and functions of the office of the vice mayor of Tayug, Pangasinan and to relinquish and vacate the same in favor of protestant-appellee Madilyn Ramirez, (2) to cause the peaceful and smooth turn-over of office to aforesaid protestant-appellee.”

Meanwhile, Zaragoza, who appeared disinterested, in a text message to The PUNCH, said “Sorry, what was that I am supposed to comment on?” when asked for a statement on the Comelec decision.

Ramirez and Zaragoza, and three other candidates, are again vying for vice mayoral post in the coming May elections.#

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