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Tuesday, April 18, 2006
'Oti' confident of winning in recount
By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
BUSINESSMAN Jose "Oti" Montelibano said Monday he is confident that the recount of contested ballot boxes in Silay City will result in his favor.
In a telephone interview Monday night, Montelibano claimed that 161 of the 312 contentious ballot boxes have already been opened and recounted at the Commission on Elections (Comelec)-Main Office in Intramurous, Manila. The recount started April 3.
Montelibano was confident in saying that he is still leading the recount against incumbent Mayor Carlo Gamban.
Though, he cannot disclose the exact figure of his lead over Gamban yet.
Gamban, on the other hand, cannot be reached for comment as of press time Monday.
In an earlier interview, however, Gamban said, he has no knowledge that a recount has started. He believed that what the commission did was only examination and re-examination of ballots or a revision.
In last May 10, 2004 elections, Gamban won over Montelibano by 347 votes.
Gamban got 18,019 votes while Montelibano earned 17,736.
Former mayor Edwin "Bigot" Velez, Gamban's cousin, on the other hand placed third in the election.
"I know I will win," Montelibano said.
He also said his legal counsel lawyer George Garcia who is in Manila is now keeping a tight watch on the daily proceedings of the Comelec-Manila.
Gamban has also sent two lawyers in Manila including revisors tasked to focus on the matter.
One of them is lawyer Alex Villanueva.
Though Gamban brushed off the claims of Montelibano, the latter however said that he would taste victory as the recounting is done in a fair ground and not in Silay.
"Not only the stray ballots are being examined and counted but also the ballots inside the contested ballot boxes," he said.
"What my opponent is doing right now is employing an 'Ostrich Solution' (burying his head underground) to save his face. But it is an old trick," Montelibano added.
(April 18, 2006 issue)
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