CITY OF MALOLOS–Bulakenyos junked the conversion of the City of San Jose del Monte (CSJDM) into a highly urbanized city (HUC) as the plebiscite to ratify the move during the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSKE) on Monday resulted to an overwhelming “no” votes against the “yes” votes.
At the canvassing of the turn-in of the election returns from all the 20 tows and four cities in the province by Bulacan Provincial Board of Canvassers led by Provincial Elections Supervisor Atty. Mona Aldana Campos at the Hiyas Pavilion on Tuesday, the “no” votes continue to get a chunk of lead against the “yes” votes from an earlier partial and unofficial result from the camp of one of the pro “no” groups in CSJDM.
A copy of the said partial and unofficial count tally circulating in social media and was sent to NEWS CORE on Tuesday morning said the “no” votes had a more than 100,000 marginal winning votes through 294,755 — 195,954 votes.
Yes votes only won in CSJDM by 146 votes from 35,530 against 35,374; in Meycauayan by 740 votes from 1,200-520 votes and IN Marilao with 4,661-4,500 votes.
In Bocaue, no votes won through 1,243-1,032; in Bulakan, 1,360-532; in Bustos town 18,443-16,503; in Calumpit 15-911-8957; in Donya Remedios Trinidad (DRT) 2,273-3,763; in Guiguinto 29, 029-21,050; in Hagonoy 2,930-1,306; in City of Malolos 10,276-5,490; in Norzagaray 15,977-4,403; in Obando 4,712-2,799; in Pandi 6,866-4,131; in Paombong 3,528-1,638; in Plaridel 13,259-8,293; in Pulilan 719-345; in San Ildefonso, 7, 694-6,631; in San Miguel 29,631-21,735; in San Rafael 31,861-16,394 and Sta. Maria with 10,328-6,261 votes.
The total 490,719 from the 294,755 no votes and 195,964 yes votes is just more than 23% of Bulacan’s 2,099, 914 number of registered voters.
Partial unofficial results from the towns of Baliwag, Balagtas and Angat have yet to be included in the data from the source.
A social media campaign ads was earlier released with a merged photos and “No” positions and statements of Gov. Daniel Fernando and two former Bulacan Governors Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado and Roberto Pagdanganan.
Last week, more Bulacan officials stood against the conversion as majority from the total 615 top positions in the Provincial Government of Bulacan (PGB), league of municipalities and cities and barangays expressed strong opposition and pushed for “One Bulacan” compared with 144 who favored the move.
More than 470 from these 615 top officials composed of 20 from PGB led by Gov. Daniel Fernando, Vice Gov. Alex Castro and 18 board members; 450 out of Bulacan”s total 572 barangay captains and at least one out of the 24 Bulacan mayors support no.
The 144 yes come from around 120 barangay officials from the towns of Plaridel, Paombong, Norzagaray and Cities of Baliwag and Meycauayan and the other 23 mayor members of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines and League of Cities of the Philippines Bulacan chapters.
Fernando early during the week made known his stand on the issue. In an official statement in his social media page, he said that he wants the people to decide under the principle of democracy but he is unhappy and disappointed over the move of CSJDM to fully separate from the province.
“There is no father who will be happy if his son will drift apart. This is painful to me. My prayer and desire is for Bulacan to always be united as one”.
“Mula Noon Pa Man ay Aking Sinabi. Let the people decide. Sapagkat ito ang diwa ng demokrasya. Know the issues, then vie wisely. “patungkol sa mga katanungan kung ano ang aking panig sa mungkahing paghiwalay ng CSJDM sa lalawigan ng Bulacan, ito ang aking masasabi” Walang ama na magiging masaya kapag nawalay amg anak. Ito ay masakit para sa akin. Dalangin ko sa tuwina ay Isang Sambayanang Bulakenyong Buo at Nagkakaisa”.
He encouraged every Bulakenyo to know the issues and vote wisely.
Board Member Ramil Capistrano, president of the federation of Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) in 20 towns and four component cities in Bulacan said that some 450 from 572 village chairs in 17 out of 20 towns—Sta. Maria, Hagonoy, Pulilan, Angat, Balagtas, Marilao, San Miguel, Bocaue, Guiguinto, Calumpit, Donya Remedios Trinidad (DRT), Bustos, San Rafael, Bulakan, San Ildefonso, Pandi, Obando and one from three other component cities–City of Malolos all expressed “No” to the bid.
Capistrano led other officials and members in stressing their “NO” stand during a recent series of meetings as they supported the “One Bulacan” thrust of Fernando.
Capistrano said, the village officials who support “no” are far more in numbers compared with the whole 23 other Bulacan mayors who support “yes”.
The 20 member League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Bulacan chapter headed by Bocaue Mayor Eduardo Villanueva Jr. including Mayors Ferdie Estrella of City of Baliwag, Henry Villarica of City of Meycauayan and City of Malolos Mayor Christian Natividad, the three other component cities other than the CSJDM earlier signed a manifesto of support to the HUC bid of the CSJDM.
But, a mayor in the third district who earlier signed the manifesto had shifted against the HUC bid and strongly campaigned for no among his constituents.
The mayor said that he was earlier pro yes but now that Fernando has already expressed his sentiments of losing the CSJDM, he need to be where the governor is.
“Before I will become a good leader, I have first to be a good follower,” he told NEWS CORE at his office on Friday.
Reports have reached the Capitol that many from other mayors who signed the said manifesto have already switched to support no in favor of the governor.
