Proem

Last 17 July 2007, I was at the National Archives, Manila conducting some historical research. When I was scanning the bundle of documents known as "Varias Provincias: Bohol (1855-1898)," I was surprised to find a record entitled, "Anulacion dela eleccion hecha por Don Eduardo Calceta del cargo de Capitan Municipal del pueblo de Tagbilaran dela provincial de Bohol (Annulment of the election done in favor of Don Eduardo Calceta as the Municipal Captain (Mayor) of the town of Tagbilaran, Bohol).

The 1898 Guia Oficial of the Philippines listed Don Eduardo Calceta as the Capitan Municipal of Tagbilaran by the delegates of the principalia (upper class men) of Tagbilaran. His term of office would be for four years starting January 1, 1895 to December 31, 1898.

The Electors

Under Spanish law, the incumbent Cabezas de Barangay (Family Grouping Heads) would select among themselves six (6) representatives. The former Cabezas de Barangay and others who have served in public office will also select among themselves another six representatives. These 12 men would be tasked to elect the Capitan Municipal. The election would be attended by the Spanish Provincial Governor and the Parish Priest.

The Provincial Governor supervises the election and the Parish Priest was to lecture the electors on their responsibilities. Anyone of the two Spanish officials can annul the result of the election.

The Election Annulment

During the election on November 19, 1894 there was no protest and the two attending Spanish officials did not annul the election. So on 1 January 1895, Don Eduardo Calceta assumed his office as the Capitan Municipal of Tagbilaran, Bohol.

I do not have any data during the intervening dates, but on December 11, 1896 the Provincial Governor of Bohol received a notice declaring that the election of Don Eduardo Calceta was nullified by the Governor General of the Philippines. The reason given was that Don Eduardo Calceta did not satisfy the legal requirement that the Capitan Municipal must have previously served in any public office.

The research of this writer (Jes B. Tirol) shows that Don Eduardo was formerly a Maestro de Niños or a school teacher. He had not previously served as a Cabeza de Barangay because he was from Cavite. He stayed in Tagbilaran because he got married to Doña Januaria Mendoza, a resident of Tagbilaran. Therefore the annulment was apparently valid.

The Teniente Municipal (Municipal Lieutenant) Damaso Dangoy acted as the temporary head of Tagbilaran.

The New Election

On 12 December 1896, a day after the recipient of notification of annulment, the 12 electors were again gathered to conduct a new election. The 12 electors were: Miguel Tampos, Nicolas Butalid, Pedro Matig-a, Lucas Gomes, Miguel Sapong, Tiburcio Corales, Francisco Maslog, Eusebio Pitoy, Santiago Lumagbas, Benedicto Butalid, and two others whose signatures could not be deciphered (Mariano Zamora, and …frido C…).

The 12 electors elected Don Tiburcio Corales as the new Capitan Municipal. The Provincial Governor ruled that the election was also null and void for the reason that Don Tiburcio Corales was one of the electors.

The newly elected Don Tiburcio Corales then moved to declare the election null and void and asked for a new election as soon as possible. The junta agreed.

Another Election

On January 1, 1897 the electors once again gathered to conduct an election. During that election, 11 electors voted for Don Tiburcio Corales to be the new Capitan Municipal. Don Tiburcio Corales protested his own election.

On January 2, 1897, Don Tiburcio Corales wrote a letter to the Provincial Governor to declare his election null and void for the reason that it is against the Election Law of 1893. It provides that a member of the electors could not be elected as Capitan Municipal.

However, the Provincial Governor did not make a declaration. He sent a letter on January 16, 1897 to higher authorities, citing the same reason, for them to make a decision. Meanwhile, Teniente Municipal Damaso Dangoy acted as temporary Capitan Municipal. [Note: I think there was no Politico-Military Governor in Bohol during that time due to the revolution going on in Luzon. The letter was signed by the Parish Priest and some provincial officials].

The Decision

On March 18, 1897 a letter from higher authorities was received. It said that the matter should be decided locally.

So on June 28, 1897 Lt. Col. Esteller, the new Politico-Military Governor of Bohol sent a letter to higher authorities that on July 1, 1897 he will let Don Eduardo Calceta reassume his office as Capitan Municipal of Tagbilaran.

His reasoning was anchored on the fact that in emergency situation, if there would be no protests and complains, the governor can appoint the Capitan Municipal.

This is the reason why in 1898, Don Eduardo was still the Capitan Municipal and he even turned over the reigns of government to the Gobierno de Canton of Bohol, the organized revolutionary government in Bohol.

Comment

Fast forward - Do you think any elected Municipal Mayor now would protest his own election because it violated the law? Do you think there would be a politician now who would do a Don Tiburcio Corales - protest his own unanimous election?