PIDCI elects Martinez; Team United remains upbeat

Fe had a 95-point lead over Rene Ballenas.

Nurse Fe Martinez was elected the ninth president of the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc., pummeling Rene Ballenas in an election that had his Team United crying “shameful display of outright manipulation of by-laws.”

PIDCI organizes the yearly Independence Day Parade on Madison Avenue. The Philippine Consulate is their adviser.

The final tally had Martinez collecting 157 votes and Ballenas with 62, the widest lead ever by a winning PIDCI president. Martinez’s victory also assured her Transformers team of seats in the six-person PIDCI board. The new members of the board are Albert Diala, Angie Molina, Romeo Somodio, Irra del Rosario, Jenny Vi Niguidula and Rey Flores.

Ballenas’ Team United remained upbeat. The members are Nida Cortez, Luis Pedron, Gregorio Agulan, and Pancho Bernaldez.

From PIDCI’s 266 member organizations, 229 votes were cast in elections held October 1 at the Loving Life Learning Center at on 43rd Street, according to a press statement. Of the 149 renewal member organizations, 127 voted and of the 117 new member organizations, 102 cast their ballots.

“(The) election was a shameful display of outright manipulation of the organization’s bylaws,” protested Team United’s May Tumulak-Durano.

“Thank you so much for your support during the campaign and during election day. We did our best yet the numbers are not in our favor,” said candidate Agulan of Team United.



2 Comments

  1. Every year same situation happened that’s why I left that system. If any new Leader is interested in running next year he/she should start registering new members to qualify for next years election which is the right procedure.

    The root cause is that person who approved members without proper timing. Secondly their cohorts tend to delay forms to the members qualified to vote so ” Hakot System”{ remains to be rampant that lead to mass fraud, disappointments, etc.

    Come to think of it that it is done once a year focusing on PARADE and yet leaders like them think that its their LIFE and DEATH. Why can they not employ a Clean and Transparent election? I served PIDC now PIDCI 3 terms in a row as Chairman of the Diwa ng Kalayaan Search. I delivered it right but noticed there were so many wrong doings that I dont agree. To avoid anymore frustrations, I decided to quit.I did my Share.

  2. […] one of the more recent articles, one caption caught my interest: “Nurse Martinez was elected the ninth president of the […]

Leave a Reply