Special polls for 2 Palawan districts urged

The House of Representatives has been prodded to hold a special election in two congressional districts of Palawan to fill the seat vacated by the late Rep. Edward Hagedorn and Rep. Edgardo Salvame.

The passing of Hagedorn and Salvame, who represented the third and first district of Palawan, respectively, in the 19th Congress, left a “vacuum of leadership” in the province, said the former’s widow, Elena Hagedorn in a letter sent to Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Romualdez is the current caretaker of the two districts following the deaths of Hagedorn and Salvame.

“While we do not question the authority of Congress to designate a caretaker representative, it is our honest and most sincere submission that the affected voters of the two congressional districts be allowed to exercise their right of choice in a special election,” Elena averred.

The plea for such an election, Elena added, had already been taken up by the House when it ousted exNegros Oriental Rep. Arnie Teves and replaced then-Cavite Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla, who was tapped to lead the Department of Justice, both during the current Congress.

Elena appealed to Romualdez to pass a resolution ordering the Commission on Elections to hold a special election, citing the petition form of the concerned residents “who signed off their own free will without anything in return.”

Elena claimed the issue of budgetary requirements had been officially resolved, citing the pronouncement of Comelec chief George Garcia during his visit to Puerto Princesa City last February.

Quoting Garcia, Elena said the “Commission had the budget needed for the special election” and that it is only waiting for the go-signal of the House to hold the special polls.

“It is our most sincere hope that our requested resolution be the incontrovertible evidence of the concern of the 19th Congress for our subject constituents. A fully-represented House of Representatives is the hallmark of a truly functional and vibrant democracy,” Elena said in the letter.

Romualdez’s office, however, has yet to comment on this as of press time.

Hagedorn, the long-time mayor of Puerto Princesa from 1992 to 2013, passed away in October last year, while Salvame died on 14 March. No details were given on the cause of their deaths.