Court to check on materials for poll protest case

THE Regional Trial Court (RTC) is yet to check on the other election paraphernalia for the election protest case filed by a mayoralty candidate Datu Saudi Ampatuan town in Maguindanao province.

The revision committee said they are yet to scrutinize the book of voters and other documents pertaining to the application of voters to determine the authenticity of the ballots.

In a text message, lawyer Israelito Torreon, counsel for complainant Kindatu U. Datucali, said they are currently "in the process of checking the Election Day Computerized Voter’s List vis-à-vis Voters Registration Record."

Torreon said the court has not yet issued the result of the recount so far.

He said the result will be consolidated with the other findings made during the revision.

Datucali filed an election protest against Datu Saudi Ampatuan Jr. before a local court in Cotabato City for allegedly being cheated during the May 2010 elections.

Court records showed that Datucali claimed the results of the election in 17 clusters were manipulated.

The revision of the ballots started on September 24 which was held inside the court room of RTC Branch 16.

The opening of ballot boxes was approved after Torreon asked the court to forcibly break the ballot boxes since its keys were still in the hands of the Commission on Elections.

The court granted the forcible opening of the ballot boxes provided that the integrity of the documents is preserved.