Mayor Junie Martinez emerged victorious in this year's City of Bogo midterm polls.  He won by 14,229 votes over Daphne Salimbangon (source: COMELEC website). The official tally showed a total of 25,177 (69.69%) votes for Martinez and 10,948 (30.31%) for Salimbangon. 

Mayor Junie's running mate, Vice-Mayor Santiago Sevilla, also emerged victorious over Victor Elliot Lepiten III. Sevilla garnered 20,604 (63.90%) votes, while Lepiten has 11,640 (36.10%). 

The people have spoken. May the Bogohanons unite and help our elected leaders in making Bogo a better city.

Photo credit: T-Bag Reborn
Votes updated on 5/16/2013 based on COMELEC.gov.ph record.

Bogo City-- its people and its leader is a story of romance. It was long time ago when Bogo was just an unassuming virgin hidden far from the glamorous capital metropolis, Cebu City. She was just sitting there very much content of the meager attention, economic activity and physical adornment. She was yet to become the head turner beauty of the north. On the other hand, a young man, whose umbilical cord was buried under the bogo tree by his late father, turned to manhood and noticed her. Bogo fondly calls him as Junie Martinez. His filial affection with the innocent lady, Bogo, sparked into a flaming passion of love and conviction that Bogo will soon rise into the pedestal of beauty coveted by many. In his young masculine strength and irresistible charm , Junie wooed her and won her love and devotion. The years of romance born a lot of progress, stability, dignity and unprecedented metamorphosis wherein the lowly little girl, Bogo, emerged as the glamorous and virtuous woman of the north. Under his love, She was a perfect spectacle of the feminine potency. She then was crowned a title of a city. More than ever, she is now set to soar high, the way Junie imagined her to be back in the 70's. Her charm attracted many late and forfeited aspirants, most of them are not Bogohanons. They tried hard to grab and molest her feminine charm but try they did fail. Junie remained faithful to her and the Bogohanon. He defended her with his indefatigable strength until the forces that tried to adulterate her virtue waned. Today she stands still beside the man who clothes her with love and so much faithfulness.

The marriage of Bogo, Bogohanons and Junie defined her (Bogo) of what she is now today and what she will become and more. Their faithfulness with each other withstood the strongest of lies, deception, terrorism and violence commenced by the power hungry few who wanted to break that marriage. 

In this tale of love, Bogohanons either take the character of the man Junie or the Woman Bogo. Either way, their marriage gives us discernment to whom we should entrust this city with. This tale is our history, our heritage, our identity, our culture and our own story to tell. This would guide us to our destination. This is the wisdom of the past and the rediscovered virtue of the present. 

This tale of love still runs into the pages of our history. Whether this ends in tragedy or victory, you partly hold the pen to say. Please hold it responsibly. 

Atty. Ahmad Clay Escolar

VICE MAYOR

• LEPITEN, VICTOR
• SEVILLA, SANTIAGO

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc has rejected the request of Rep. Benhur Salimbangon (Cebu, 4th district) to place Bogo City in northern Cebu under Comelec control in the 2013 elections to prevent a repeat of the stand-off in Pulambato in 2010.

Comelec Chairperson Sixto Brillantes said the Comelec, as a collegial body, decided that placing Bogo City under Comelec control is unnecessary and has no basis.

Brillantes said the Comelec decision is final.

Earlier, Salimbangon said placing Bogo City under Comelec control will prevent violence in the elections, especially that there are armed men in the area who are freely roaming around.

Salimbangon said he wants clean and honest elections and placing Bogo City under Comelec control will prevent criminals from making trouble during the campaign period and on election day.

Bogo City Mayor Celestino “Junie” Martinez Jr. said he is happy to learn about the Comelec order, saying the congressman’s suggestion is selective.

“Benhur might have thought that because Brillantes was their lawyer in the 2010 election, he can again take advantage now that Brillantes is the Comelec chairman,” Martinez said.

He said it’s not good for Salimbangon to suggest only Bogo City for Comelec control when there are more troubled towns in the fourth district, such as Daanbantayan, Tabuelan, Sta. Fe, San Remigio and Madridejos.

Instead of Comelec control, Martinez suggested the creation of a credible group composed of religious, civic and media leaders to oversee the elections in the entire fourth district.

“I think that if created, this group from the religious, civic and media sectors will be respected by all political leaders and their followers because they are non-partisan and whose only motive in monitoring the fourth district is to ensure a clean and honest elections,” Martinez said.

source: US News Las Vegas

The Pag-IBIG Fund (Home Development Mutual Fund) recently opened its new Service Center in the City of Bogo to bring its services closer to its members. 

During the opening, a total of 25 clients availed of the services (concerning printout of contributions, Multi–Purpose Loans, membership verification and receiving of Multi–Purpose Loan applications). The Bogo Service Center will also serve Pag-ibig members from in the municipalities of San Remigio, Tabuelan, Borbon, Tabogon, Medellin, Daanbantayan, Sta. Fe, Bantayan and Madridejos.

Mayor Martinez, through Councilor Rodriguez, thanked Pag-IBIG Fund “for coming over so that our constituents will not travel far just to avail of the services they deserve.”