The integrity of the Creative Baguio City Council elections has been questioned.
Visual artist, Janzelle Fermin is crying foul over allegations of irregularities in the 2025 election of the Creative Baguio City Council (CBCC).
Fermin said “I cannot in good conscience be part of a council that begins its work under the shadow of corruption and request the results of the election for the Visual Arts and Other Crafts sector be declared invalid due to the irregularities observed.”
Fermin is also asking for a new election be held for the sector, conducted under proper and transparent procedures with clear guidelines and safeguards.
Fermin, stressed she signified her complaint after the September 10, 2025 elections of the CBCC but until today not one official of the creative body has sought to clarify matters formally.
The CBCC was created to unite the city’s cultural visionaries to preserve heritage, drive innovation, and power the creative economy, sustaining Baguio’s legacy as the Philippines’ first UNESCO Creative City of Folk Arts and Crafts.
The unanswered letter sent September 29, 2025 to CBCC chair Mayor Benjamin Magalong and Marie Venus Tan, vice chair, Fermin formally filed her letter of Protest on Election Irregularities at Sector 5: Visual Arts and Other Crafts Sector at the Creatives General Assembly Held on September 10, 2025.
Fermin said “I urge your office to uphold the principles of fairness, accountability, and transparency, and to take the necessary corrective measures to restore integrity to the process. As a participant in the assembly and a member of the Visual Arts and Other Crafts sector, I feel compelled to speak out on the irregularities I personally witnessed, which undermine the fairness and credibility of the election process.”
Fermin also brought out her concerns during the December 4 artist dialog with Magalong and Tan present but no action was taken, her sentiments were likewise echoed by Diane Mondok, president of the Baguio Arts Guild.
Tan, sent a formal statement to North Luzon Monitor (NLM) saying “We [CBCC] all felt the proceedings were done in a democratic manner. They nominated and elected their reps themselves. And if there were objections they could have raised their arguments there and then. Which they didn’t. if one person seemed to have weighed in on and seemingly asserted her choice, the group could have rejected the motion immediately. And confronted the person. The visual artists sector is the only sector that have raised this issue. If this persists, we shall allow a re-election from the sector to secure fair and acceptable sectoral representation.”
NLM also reached out to Docyogen for a statement and was told to standby for further updates.
Fermin said during the elections, members were asked to gather to their respective sector groups to begin the nomination and voting process. “In our group, however, proper procedure was not observed from the very start. (There was a) premature nomination without consent as Maricar Docyogen approached our group and immediately nominated two individuals, Santiago Tagapong and Ms. Glo Abaeo, even going so far as to suggest who should serve as primary and secondary representatives, neither nominee was asked for consent, nor were proper introductions made.”
Fermin also cited undue influence in the process with Jeroust Diabo was observed moving around within our group, “actively influencing members, raising concerns about impartiality. Fermin also called out Art Tibaldo for Interruption and Outside Interference. while I was explaining my eligibility after being nominated, I was repeatedly interrupted by Mr. Art Tibaldo, who belongs to Sector 3, involved himself heavily in our group’s proceedings, questioning and even returning to demand changes in the names we had agreed upon.”
Fermin said that the election procedures were irregular and seemed to favor specific groups and persons only.
Fermin said these actions were a Violation of a Group Decision “Our group had agreed to elect three representatives. When our names were written down, Mr. Tibaldo returned with the paper, insisting that one name be removed despite our clear consensus.” Fermin also raised in her protest a Disregard of Nominee Rights and Objections “Glo Abaeo personally offered to withdraw her nomination if needed, but this right was not respected. And my objections to Mr. Tagapong’s capability to lead were not heard or considered.”
Fermin also pointed to a “pattern of bias,” saying the individual who nominated, the acting electoral officer, the nominees and the undue influence of votes— Ms. Maricar Docyogen, Mr. Art Tibaldo, Mr. Santiago Tagapong, Ms. Glo Abaeo, and Mr. Jeroust Diabo, are all affiliated with the same organization, the Pasakalye Group of Artists, “This raises serious concerns about conflict of interest, bloc voting, and the possibility that the election results were pre-determined to favor one group rather than fairly representing the wider creative community.” – Maria Elena Catajan