Javier leaves Antique Capitol; Cadiao officially takes over as governor

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SAN JOSE, Antique – The long drama, the fears of bloodshed, chaos and the tension are now over in the province of Antique as former governor Exequiel B. Javier did not even wait for the arrival of the Regional Director of the Department of Interior and Local (DILG) and regional officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to personally serve him the Writ of Execution of his Disqualification by the poll body.

At around 10:30 this morning, February 3, DILG Regional Director Atty. Anthony Nuyda, Comelec Assistant Regional Director Atty. Tomas Valera and Comelec Provincial Election Supervisor Atty. Roberto Salazar went to the New Capitol of Antique to serve the Writ of Execution issued last January 23 by Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes.

The Office of the Governor was empty except for the tables and chairs. Neither a piece of paper nor a pencil was there. There was also no one to receive Javier’s copy of the Writ of Execution that Atty. Nuyda and his team posted the copy of the Writ on the door instead.

After posting the copy of the Writ outside the Office of the Governor, Atty. Nuyda and his team went to the Old Capitol where former vice governor Rhodora Cadiao, who had taken her oath as the new governor last week, holds office and presented to her a copy of the Writ of Execution and declared the latter as Governor of Antique.

Atty. Nuyda also declared Senior Board Member Edgar Denosta as the Vice Governor based on Section 44 of the Local Government Code and as stated in the Writ of Execution.

Atty. Nuyda and the rest of the team from DILG and Comelec accompanied Governor Cadiao to her office in the New Capitol.

“Now, all these apprehensions, confusions and restlessness are over. What I want is for peace to reign in the provincial government and the province of Antique. We can now get to work as everything is now back to normal,” Cadiao said as she assured the dozens of employees of the provincial government who met her in the lobby of the New Capitol.

To recall, the Comelec disqualified Javier in a decision dated January 12, 2015 in connection with the Petition for Disqualification filed by Atty. Cornelio Aldon and former PCSO Director Ray Roquero.

Javier sought a Temporary Restraining Order with the Supreme Court but the SC did not grant his motion.

Last January 23, 2015, when Javier failed to secure a TRO from the Supreme Court, Comelec chairman Brillantes issued a Writ of Execution.