BY: Joel P. Mapiles
CANDABA, Pamp. --- Former town Mayor Normita “Babes” Evangelista, a candidate for vice mayor, has filed an election protest against Vice Mayor-elect Daniel Gallardo, proclaimed winner for the vice mayoralty post last May 10 polls.
This came in the heels of the proclamation of Gallardo who garnered 15,388 votes as against the 15,262 votes of Evangelista, a margin of 126 votes.
The election protest was filed before Regional Trial Court Branch 48 Judge Serafin B. David in the City of San Fernando on the grounds that the results of the election for vice mayor were “pre-programmed”.
Evangelista alleged that the delay in the testing and sealing of the compact flash cards gave a window of time for the culprits to pre-program the results of the elections, particularly in the contested precincts.
The former mayor, who ran for vice mayor, has also questioned the authenticity of the election results printed on ordinary thermal paper.
She alleged that ordinary thermal paper is accessible to anyone and the probability of cheating is high.
Evangelista also claimed that Gallardo has resorted to massive vote buying in the last elections, as she also alleged that the municipal board of canvassers has “committed irregularities”.
The losing vice mayor has contested the election results in the clustered precincts in Barangays Bambang, Buas, Cuayang Bugtong, Mandili, Paralaya, Pasig, Pescadores and Tagulod.
With this, Gallardo has filed an answer with compulsory counterclaim before Judge David the other day, specifically denying all the allegations of Evangelista.
Gallardo said it is clear that the electoral fraud, anomalies and irregularities baselessly and irresponsibly averred by Evangelista in her protest are simply the common fabrications to be expected of a losing candidate.
Contrary to the allegations of Evangelista, Gallardo said he did not engage in massive vote buying.
Gallardo said his victory in the May 10 polls was the expression of the true will of the people and was not the product of electoral fraud, anomalies and irregularities.
The vice mayor-elect said the town elections went through keen public scrutiny, which included the presence of concerned citizens’ groups and poll watchers of the competing candidates for the local and national elective offices – including those of Evangelista- which, he added, precludes the latter’s general and baseless allegations of electoral fraud, anomalies and irregularities.
He added that the elections in this town were generally and relatively free, honest, peaceful and orderly.
He claimed that the protest is insufficient in form and content and must therefore be summarily dismissed in accordance with the 2010 Rules of Procedures for Municipal Election Contests.
The elected vice mayor has also filed a compulsory claim as a result of the reckless filing of the protest as he said that he was constrained to engage the services of counsel and had incurred and will be incurring future expenses to defend his victory in the recent elections.
With this, Gallardo stated that Evangelista should be adjudged liable to pay him attorney’s fees and litigation expenses in the amount of P200,000 in addition to incurring costs of the suit.
No comments:
Post a Comment