Saturday, May 05, 2007 Lakas, not Kampi, to get official ER
WITH Comelec’s recognition of Lakas as the dominant party of the majority coalition, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia’s group, which is allied with Kampi, will not be able to get an official copy of the election returns.
Garcia’s rivals, the group of Rep. Antonio Yapha and Rep. Clavel Martinez, are technically endorsed by the Partido Demokratikong Sosyalista ng Pilipinas (PDSP), which is also a member of the administration’s coalition. But Yapha’s stalwarts in the municipal level are mostly Lakas, so it is the local opposition who will be getting official copies of the election returns.
Former Cebu governor Pablo “Pabling” Garcia and his son, lawyer Pablo John Garcia, however, are not worried about the ruling of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), which also recognizes Liberal as the dominant minority party.
“Mas makaguol nila nga mugunit sa official copy sa election returns, kay magtan-aw sila sa ilang kapildihan. Ig-katog unlanan gud na (It’s bad news for them, because they’ll be getting first-hand proof of their defeat),” Pabling said, laughing.
As expected, both camps earlier made conflicting claims about their stand in the campaign. Former congressman Celestino “Junie” Martinez, husband of Clavel and candidate for Bogo mayor, said their survey shows Yapha and Clavel are getting as much as 87 percent of voters.
Former governor Garcia, meanwhile, said it’s a no contest for Governor Garcia and Vice Gov. Gregorio Sanchez Jr. Pabling, after a three-year rest since his last term as governor, is now running for the second district congressional seat. Pablo John, meanwhile, is a candidate for Congress in the third district. Both also serve as counsels for Governor Garcia.
Pablo John said there are many ways for them to keep track of the tally even without the official copy of election returns, although he admitted that it would be more convenient for their rivals to be getting the official copy.
They can tell their watchers at the precinct level to prepare a statement of votes that will be signed by the chairman and members of the board of election inspectors, said Pablo John.
Their watchers can also prepare a certificate of canvass that can be signed by those authorized to do so, he added.
“There will always be a way to get a certified tally of the results of the elections,” said Pablo John.
Last Wedesday, the Comelec declared the Lakas-Chirstian Muslim Democrats and the Liberal Party as the dominant majority and minority party, respectively, entitling them to the fifth and sixth copies of the election returns.
Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos was quoted by national papers as saying that the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino and the Nationalist People’s Coalition should have constituted the dominant minority party but they recognized Liberal to “preserve check and balance.” (JPM)
