Watching Bantayan

What a predicament Bantayan town found itself in, exactly a year after the May 2016 elections. Thanks to a Supreme Court (SC) ruling, the town temporarily has two mayors: Arthur Despi, who continued to hold office yesterday, and Ian Christopher Escario, who took oath in Manila last Monday.

Despi’s victory over a member of the politically entrenched Escario clan was one of the few Cinderella stories of last year’s elections. Twice before, he had run against a clan member, Geralyn Escario Cañares, but lost. When he defeated Ian Christopher in 2016, while the latter was the incumbent mayor, his story was held up as proof that sometimes, political clans cannot hold back change. Nearly 57 percent of the votes cast went Despi’s way.

Now, however, a margin of almost 4,500 votes cannot keep him in the mayor’s office. Given the Abag-Promdi party’s waning influence in recent elections, it would probably have been more strategic, in hindsight, for Despi to run as an independent candidate. Questions over his certificate of nomination and acceptance (CONA), which Despi was required to submit as a substitute candidate, were what eventually led to this painful twist in his story.

So far, Bantayan has not seen any protest similar to those that delayed the turnover of power in other local governments where local officials had to be removed (by disqualification or suspension) from office. Let’s hope Despi and Escario both use their influence to keep their supporters from disrupting the municipal government’s work.

Despi has said he respects the Supreme Court’s decision, as well as his disqualification by the Commission on Elections. But he also believes it’s Vice Mayor Antonio Montemar, and not Escario, who ought to assume office as the town’s new mayor.

As crucial as running a smooth and credible election is ensuring a smooth, credible, and peaceful transfer of power. Going beyond politics, Bantayan faces several challenges, from ensuring a stable power supply to sustaining efforts to rebuild infrastructure and the local economy after the destruction super typhoon Yolanda caused in late 2013.

How are we doing a year after the May 2016 elections? For those with an eye on political office, Despi’s case is another reminder of the need to make local elections more competitive. This includes creating the conditions that would make it more feasible to challenge political clans; among them, an organized grassroots base one can depend on, instead of a party with shifting political loyalties.