By Artemio A. Dumlao

BAGUIO CITY (October 8, 2011) — Tension builds in Dingras town once again as controversial lady mayor Marineth Gamboa, ousted from her post by the Comelec on May this year, dreams a comeback.

Herself believing she will be reinstated as the duly elected mayor, Gamboa claims she has high hopes of running the town again soon with her petition at the Supreme Court manifesting she is not a fugitive as claimed by the election body.

Gamboa was unseated last May 5 after the Comelec en banc disqualified her to run in the May 2010 polls.

In her message, Gamboa sounded very optimistic even claiming she can return back as Dingras mayor 99 percent should the High Tribunal appreciate documents she submitted that show she is not running away from the law when she ran in 2010.
Though lamenting her ouster last May, Gamboa said that her temporary “leave” was good for her even “because she had time to devote to her case”.

Gamboa, who di not finish her second term as the town’s executive, was succeeded by her vice mayor Erdio Valenzuela.
Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos personally administered the oath of Mayor Valenzuela, beaming “(it marked) the beginning of a New Dingras. A Dingras that is the “rice granary” of Ilocos norte and one of the most productive towns of the province.”

Gamboa was linked to various assassinations of local officials in her town and political foes and has been tagged as one of the few political warlords in the province who maintained goons, a thing she denied.

Dingras had been rigged by tension because of long-standing political rivalry between Gamboa and her foes, including killings of local and village officials, the most recent was the killing of town councilor Randolf Magno Sr. on Maundy Thursday in April blamed on the unseated mayor.***Artemio A. Dumlao***