Wednesday, May 30, 2007 Medina mayor to face poll raps from cousin By Lizanilla J. Amarga
REELECTED Medina Municipal Mayor Sulpicio Uyguangco was slapped with an election protest by his strongest political oppositor and first cousin Rodrigo Uyguangco Pupos.
This, for allegedly using fake ballots and commission of mathematical errors, among others.
The case against Uyguangco is the seventh election protest filed in the local courts involving May 14, 2007 candidates from the province of Misamis Oriental.
It was raffled Tuesday to the sala of Judge Dan Calderon.
There are reports that similar election protests involving still Misamis Oriental bets are docketed at the Iligan City trial courts.
The election protest of Pupos against Uyguangco was formally filed at the two-sala Medina Trial Court, Medina, Misamis Oriental just in time to meet the 10-day deadline.
No prayer for damages was indicated but that should Pupos proved that indeed he won against Uyguangco, the latter will be made to pay all revision and litigation costs.
Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro failed to contact Uyguangco for his side as of this writing Tuesday.
A source close to the reelected Medina mayor, however, said, "It is very clear that Pupos lost the elections and they are just wasting their money."
But in a separate interview with Pupos's legal counsel, Elezear Boycillo, he said they have a strong case against Uyguangco.
He pointed out how they are only contesting some 50 precincts out of the 92 precincts total number of precincts in the municipality of Medina, Misamis Oriental.
"By these precincts alone, we know we can win our election protest and establish that indeed we won the May 14, 2007 elections," Pupos's lawyer said.
According to Boycillo, based on the Commission on Elections (Comelec)-Medina count Uyguangco got 7,156 votes or a lead by 380 votes against his client Pupos who garnered 6,761 votes.
But in their own tally based on the election results furnished to them, Uyguangco only got some 7,076 votes or a difference of 315 votes from that of Pupos.
"The data from the Comelec is not exactly correct and there was some mathematical errors committed," he said.
Boycillo said aside from these errors from the Comelec, there were numerous election frauds and irregularities committed, this time, by Uyguangco and his cohorts.
This include: massive vote-buying, switching of ballot boxes, stuffing of fake ballots in the ballot boxes, padding of voters, misappreciation of ballots for Pupos in favor of Uyguangco and even not reading ballots cast for Pupos.
Also, the inaccurate counting of votes for Uyguangco when it was supposed to have been for Pupos.
"Some ballots that indicated Uyguangco as vice mayor was also read as Uyguangco for mayor," he said.
Mayor Uyguangco's son, Ken Niño, ran as vice mayor of Medina and won with his father.
Boycillo also outlined how the watchers from his client's camp were barred by some Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) from entering the precinct places.
He said they also have evidence of how the Uyguangco camp rigged the elections through "Lansadera" and "Kadena" among others.
"We have evidence to support all our specific allegations," he said.
