Gubernatorial elections in Capiz (1906)

TIGBATAS HISTORY

With an abundant harvest of palay in the later part of 1905, the Capisnons were content. However, American John C. Barnard, Dumalag School Supervisor, reported that there was unrest in the population due to the upcoming elections of the Municipal Presidents and the Provincial Governor. (Letter of John C. Barnard, November 25, 1905, Hartford Republican, January 19, 1906, 1)

 The provincial elections in Capiz was held on February 5, 1906, and Governor Simplicio Jugo Vidal sought for his second reelection but he was opposed by equally strong opponents namely Antonio V. Habana, who was the first Municipal President of Capiz (now Roxas City), Philippines.

House of Representatives, Directorio Oficial dela Camara de Representante, Quinta Legislatura Filipina, Tercer Periodo de Sesiones (Manila: Bureau of Printing, 1921, 45) and old revolutionary Colonel Ramon S. Hontiveros, who was the first Municipal President of Mambusao, in 1901-1905. (Historical Data of the Municipality of Mambusao, 14.)

The Provincial elections concluded at around 11:00 in the evening. Without a political party to boost his candidacy, Governor Simplicio Jugo Vidal placed second with only 47 votes. Governor Antonio V. Habana, the gubernatorial candidate of the Partido Modernista, a local party, emerged victorious with 135 votes, while Ramon S. Hontiveros, of the Partido Federal, placed third, mustering 44 votes. (Jose Altavas Mi Diario cited Ike Altavas. El Renacimiento Filipino, February 23, 1906, 4)

The electoral committee were composed of President: Sr. Eugenio Picazo, who later became Delegate to the First Philippine Assembly and the future stepfather of President Manuel Roxas; Secretary: Conrado Barrios; and Members: Pascual Barza, Sinforoso Vargas, Flaviano Sityar and Pedro Cortez. (El Renacimiento Filipino, February 23, 1906, 4)

 On April 6, 1906, the Hartford Republican published the letter of John C, Barnard detailing the provincial election and he wrote:

“Now the spring dry season is beginning and the streets are nice playing grounds in the evenings. Our provincial election has just closed and a change in governors has resulted. This province Capiz is about as large as four average counties of Kentucky. It is divided into municipalities, perhaps twenty. One municipality of the first class has eighteen councilors, one of the second has fourteen, several of the third have ten, and the remainder of the fourth class have eight.

Each has one President and one Vice President. The Vice President and Councilors elect the Governor. They are elected with the President by electors or voters who have certain qualifications so as to exclude the ignorant, the lazy and the vicious. Each municipality also has a treasurer, civil service appointee, a justice of the peace appointed by the Provincial Board and a Secretary appointed by the President with concurrence of the council.”*