Thursday, May 17, 2007 Comelec shifts tally to Capitol By Mia E. Abellana & Minerva B. Gerodias Sun.Star Staff Reporters
THE canvassing of votes in Bogo town was suspended yesterday after tension heated up between supporters of congressional candidates Celestino “Tining” Martinez III and Benhur Salimbangon.
It will resume today in the Provincial Capitol with a new board of canvassers, amid officials’ hopes that placing 101 kilometers between most of the warring camps’ supporters and the canvassing will help defuse the tension.
Salimbangon, however, is considering a plan to file a petition for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to declare a failure of elections in Bogo.
He cited “massive” vote-buying—even at the gates of some schools used as polling places—and the alleged preparation of election returns before the canvassing could begin.
At the height of the tension, Bogo Election Officer Jose Menguez requested Provincial Election Supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano to transfer the canvassing from the municipal session hall to the Provincial Capitol.
Comelec 7 Regional Director Ray Rene Buac approved at 2:25 p.m. Castillano’s request to move the canvassing to Cebu City.
Some seven hours later, the northern town’s ballot boxes reached the Provincial Capitol.
Fled
Director Buac revealed that Election Officer Menguez had requested for relief from the canvassing, after his two members abandoned him yesterday.
They reportedly left at dawn and refused to return while there was too much tension.
Of the 196 precincts in Bogo, 60 had been canvassed by the time the proceedings were stopped for the transfer.
To control the people in today’s canvassing, Buac said the Comelec will give 20 passes to both parties and only those who have a pass will be allowed inside the canvassing area.
The ballot boxes were transported to the Capitol on a truck, guarded by 10 pairs of watchers from both camps, as instructed by Supt. Erson Digal, subtask group head for the fourth district.
It was Digal who informed both parties about the decision to transfer.
Inspection
Lawyers from both camps were also asked to inspect all election materials that were to be sent to the Capitol, which is why it took hours to transfer the boxes.
Salimbangon was at the Bogo town hall with a horde of his supporters, holding a rally. He claimed that his camp requested to transfer the canvassing to the sports complex to ease the tension.
But the Martinez camp reportedly did not agree to this.
Salimbangon, a former member of the Provincial Board, alleged that at 4 a.m., someone was able to enter the session hall.
After that, he said, the Martinezes changed their mind.
He also raised claims of cheating in the towns of Tabogon and San Remigio.
He pointed out that he won in all three towns of Bantayan Island because it was placed under Comelec control and the canvassing was heavily guarded.
Same intent
However, Rep. Clavel Asas-Martinez, Junie’s wife, said they also wanted the canvassing transferred and was surprised when asked about Salimbangon’s claims.
“That is also our intention, kung pwede ba sa Cebu na lang ang canvassing kay samok na kaayo diri (We prefer to have the canvassing held in Cebu [City] because it’s so chaotic here),” Clavel told reporters.
She said it was not true that anyone from their camp was able to enter the session hall, as it is heavily guarded by the police.
She also pointed out that Salimbangon’s supporters were all over the place and would have raised the alarm had they seen anyone enter the session hall.
“Nireklamo na lang among gardener kay patay na ang Bermuda (Our gardener has complained because they’ve trampled on the lawn),” she added.
Clavel also said that the supporters were not from Bogo but from other towns such as Daanbantayan and Mactan.
New board
Her son Tining, in a television interview, also said they agreed to have the canvassing transferred.
Clavel also said that Salimbangon should let go of innuendoes that the Martinezes were cheating.
Some supporters of the Martinez camp also went to the town hall but stayed at the back part of the building.
Now that the proceedings have been transferred, Director Buac of Comelec will compose a new Board of Canvassers, which will be composed of election officers from other towns.
A member of the Provincial Board of Canvassers said they are thinking of letting lawyer Gallardo Escobar of Talisay City serve as chairman, while Mohammad Abdulrashid of Ronda will be the vice chairman. The third member will be Genoveva Sevilla of Ginatilan.
The canvassing will start this morning inside the old session hall of the Capitol, just across the corridor from where the provincial canvass is being held.
Turnout
Vice Gov. Gregorio Sanchez Jr. supports Salimbangon’s call to declare a failure of elections in Bogo, saying his watchers also noticed irregularities.
There was no violence in Bogo, but the results were manipulated, said Sanchez, who won his first term as vice governor in 2004 while allied with the Martinezes.
Bogo has about 40,000 registered voters but only about 70 percent voted last Monday.
