2012, February 07

BACARRA, Ilocos Norte—Local residents rejoiced when controversial Bacarra Vice Mayor Pacifico Velasco reported back to work after almost a year of absence but a week later, Velasco was forced to leave his post permanently after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) handed down a writ of execution of its decision disqualifying him for the 2010 elections.

Velasco has been convicted of graft and corruption charges by the Sandiganbayan but he was able to post bail after he was arrested on January 18, paving the way for him to return to his post but the Comelec decision still stood and after the writ of execution was handed down, local Comelec officials in the province served the said order on February 7 after the Comelec en banc junked a motion for reconsideration he filed.