THE UNTOLD HISTORY OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF SIKATUNA
(PART II)
When Tan Enting (CLEMENTE LACEA) won the Municipal Presidency of Albur in 1916, it doesn’t mean that Cornago had more voters than Albur. Just like today, Albur has more numbers at that time. But perhaps, it was the aura and natural charm in Tan Enting that swayed the Albur votes to him. However, his stay at the Albur Presidencia was cut short by the passage of Executive Order No. 88, on December 5, 1917 because he opted to relinquish his seat in consideration of his appointment as Municipal President of the newly created Municipality of Sikatuna, issued by then Governor General Francis Burton Harisson.
So in our history, CLEMENTE LACEA was the FIRST APPOINTED MUNICIPAL PRESIDENT. He served as such during the inclusive period: 1918 - 1919. Hereunder are the mayors who followed him in the subsequent elections with the corresponding period of their incumbency, to wit:
1919 – 1922 : AURELIO GASANG
1922 – 1925 : PONCIANO TOLEDO
1926 – 1928 : PONCIANO TOLEDO
1929 – 1931 : PONCIANO TOLEDO
1932 – 1934 : FRANCISCO UNGAB
1935 – 1937 : EMILIANO BACO
1938 – 1940 : PONCIANO TOLEDO
1941 – 1942 : LUCIO MAGHUYOP
1943 – 1945 : GALICANO JASMIN (GUERILLA)
: PONCIANO TOLEDO (PUPPET GOVT)
1946 – 1963 : FIDEL ELLORIMO
1964 – 1980 : TROADIO PATENIO
1980 – 1986 : CAMILO D. PALGAN
1986 – 1998 : CONSTANCIO Q. RULE
1998 – 2007 : TRANQUILINA T. MANIWANG
2007 - present: IRENEO CALIMPUSAN
Notably, the Japanese period saw Sikatuna with three (3) mayors. The first was LUCIO MAGHUYOP, who was duly elected in the 1941 election. However, towards the end of 1942, when the Japanese forces were already in Bohol, Lucio Maghuyop was arrested by the Guerillas on suspicion that he was a collaborator. He was detained in a place called Behind The Clouds located in the town of Batuan. In his stead, GALICANO JASMIN being the Vice-mayor then was installed by the guerillas, thereby making the latter as the second mayor. But not long after the installation of Galicano Jasmin, the Japanese forces occupied Sikatuna and established a garrison at the municipal building. And as part of establishing their command in the area, the Japanese also installed their own mayor in the person of PONCIANO TOLEDO who was already a four termer mayor of the town. In other words, Ponciano Toledo became the puppet mayor of the Japanese puppet government.
Despite the presence of Japanese soldiers, Sikatuna was still a haven for evacuees, not just from the neighboring towns, but from the province of Cebu as well. The most famous of them was DON MARIANO JESUS CUENCO who, after the war, became Senator and later, Secretary of Public Works. In sum, the Japanese period in Sikatuna was characterized by order and harmony, thus, peace reigned in this small town, albeit it was war time elsewhere in the country and in the world.
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