Retrieval of Taguig
ballots ordered
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) First Division set anew the
retrieval of ballot boxes in connection with the election protest
filed by losing candidate and former Supreme Court Justice Dante
Tinga of Taguig City. The protest was filed against the winner,
Mayor Ma. Laarni Cayetano. In the resolution issued by the Comelec
First Division, the retrieval of the ballot boxes is set from
November 22 to November 25, 2011. The previous dates set for the
retrieval, through a resolution issued on September 30, were October
27 and 28, and November 2 and 3.
Initially, the protest was handled by the Second Division that
ordered the retrieval of the ballots. The case was then transferred
to the First Division after Cayetano cited through her motion for
reconsideration that the members of the Second Division were biased
against her. The September 30 resolution was contested by Cayetano’s
camp by filing a second motion for reconsideration. The Comelec then
ruled that the mayor’s motion was just a “rehash” of her arguments
that were already acted on or resolved by the poll body, hence her
plea was denied for lack of merit.
Tinga, who lost by 2,420 votes to Cayetano, asked the poll body to
conduct a recount through his protest. Some 43 ballot boxes will be
reviewed by batches within four days after they are retrieved. The
review will be conducted in the Project Management Office of the
Comelec in Intramuros, Manila.
Verification of protest signatures given a “go”
signal
On October 4, 2011, the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET)
authorized the Comelec to use official documents in the protest case
between 2010 Vice Presidential candidates Manuel Roxas and Jejomar
Binay, in verifying the signatures attached to the recall petition
cases filed against Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan and her brother
Vice-Governor Stephen James Tan. Samar Comelec Provincial Office was
permitted to refer to the Book of Voters, Voter’s Registration
Records and Election Day Computerized Voters’ List for the
verification process.
For the recall petition to prosper, at least 45,000 verified
signatures, or 10% of the voting population of Samar, have to be
presented. 73, 889 signatures were attached to the protest against
Gov. Tan, while 73,250 have signed for the petition against
Vice-Gov. Tan. In the recall petitions filed, the Tan siblings are
being criticized for alleged incompetence.
The verification of signatures was originally set from August 29 to
September 20, 2011, but the PET caused the Comelec to withdraw its
order since the documents that will be used for the verification
were then being referred to for the election protest filed by then
vice-presidential candidate and now Department of Transportation and
Communications (DOTC) Secretary Manuel Roxas II against incumbent
vice-president Jejomar Binay. The province of Samar was also one of
the areas included in the petition.
Imus election result reversed by court
After ballots were reviewed, a court in Imus, Cavite annulled the
result of the May 2010 elections where Homer Saquilayan was
proclaimed as the mayor. Imus Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 22
declared Emmanuel Maliksi as the mayor through a 269-page decision.
Judge Cesar Mangrobang signed the decision which “annulled and set
aside” the election and proclamation of Saquilayan and also issued
an order to the latter to “cease and desist” from carrying out his
duties and responsibilities as town mayor.
The review showed that Maliksi had a margin of 665 votes over
Saquilayan. Copies of the court decision, which was signed by Judge
Mangrobang on November 15, was sent to both parties. The Imus RTC
ordered the review following the protest filed by Maliksi against
Saquilayan. The court’s decision to have the ballots recounted
affirmed the Comelec’s earlier decision granting Maliksi’s petition.
Recall petitions in Pangasinan
The recall petitions that were filed against the vice mayor and four
councilors of Bani, Pangasinan was approved by the Comelec. The poll
body said that the petitions were able to gather a sufficient number
of petitioners.
Marcelo Tugas, Chairman of Barangay Garreta, filed the petitions
against Vice Mayor Filipina Rivera and Councilors Rosalinda Acenas,
Ruben Ampler, Tamerlane Olores and Cothera Gwen. He cited that the
people in their town have lost confidence in the leadership of the
respondents.
Bani mayor Marcelo Navarro said that he is supporting the petition
because the respondents are opposing the approval of programs and
projects for the town. Among the projects that were blocked were the
construction of a public market and a cemetery. Navarro was also
reported as claiming that he was reaching out to the vice mayor and
the councilors but they refused.
Initially, the petitions were backed by around 7,532 signatures of
registered voters. After verification, the number of signatures
decreased to 6,796, still an ample number that comprises 24.89% of
the total number of registered voters in Bani, which is 27,304. The
Comelec requires at least 20% of the registered voters of the town
to sign the petition.
(Various news sources) |
