Thursday, June 07, 2007 Salimbangon asks Comelec to exclude 15 questioned ERs
BENHUR Salimbangon has moved for the exclusion from canvassing the 15 questioned election returns (ERs) that are still in Manila and asked that the board of canvassers proclaim this week the new Cebu fourth district representative to the House of Representatives.
Bogo mayor-elect Celestino “Junie” Martinez Jr., on the other hand, accused Department of Education (DepEd) Provincial Director Recaredo Borgonia of harassing Bogo teachers into signing affidavits, supposedly detailing “fraud” in last May’s elections.
Junie’s son, outgoing Bogo Mayor Celestino “Tining” Martinez III, is Salimbangon’s opponent for the fourth district congressional race that has yet to end. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has yet to rule on the authenticity of the remaining uncanvassed ERs from Bogo that are now with Comelec Manila. Salimbangon said he believes these were manufactured.
Salimbangon, in a press conference yesterday, appealed to the teachers’ “sense of decency to tell the truth.”
“Wa ko maghangyo nga labanan ko ninyo. It is your moral obligation to tell the truth (I’m not asking you to take my side),” he said, referring to the teachers.
Salimbangon said the affidavits 15 teachers issued attested that the signatures in the certificate of votes that his camp has are authentic.
600 votes
Citing C-Cimpel’s and the second copy of ERs, which are posted in the precincts, Salimbangon claims to have won by over 600 votes.
But Junie, in the press statement, said Borgonia rounded up teachers from Bogo, “intimidating as well as inducing them with monetary rewards offered by Salimbangon” to issue affidavits against Tining.
“We have witnesses who have likewise executed affidavits to establish how Borgonia, in connivance with Salimbangon and their cohorts, have abused their office to the benefit and advantage of another. This is clearly a violation not only of the Election Code, considering that he sits as member of the Provincial Board of Canvassers but also of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act,” said Junie.
Junie served as fourth district congressman before his wife, outgoing Rep. Clavel Asas-Martinez, replaced him. He said he will not hesitate to file administrative and criminal charges against those involved in getting the affidavits of teachers.
In response, Salim-bangon asked, “Ingna siya kung mutuo ba siyas iyang kaugalingong gipanulti (Ask him if he believes what he himself said).”
Budget
Borgonia denied Junie’s accusation of harassment but he confirmed that he met last May 25 with seven Bogo teachers who served in the elections in the northern towns.
It’s true money matters were discussed in the meeting, Borgonia said, but only on the matter of the P30-million budget that the Comelec set aside to help teachers in case they are charged in relation to their election duties.
His purpose in calling them to a meeting, he explained, was to assure them that the DepEd is willing to defend them as long as they did their job well and they told the truth.
Some of the teachers he met executed affidavits that DepEd’s legal department took, but these did not say anything about cheating or mention any candidates’ names.
He said they wanted to be ready with the affidavits just in case a candidate files a case and the teachers are already busy with their respective classes.
“I will confront them, those who will execute an affidavit against me,” he said. (JPM/With MBG)
