Saturday, December 08, 2007 Mary Ann’s SK head wins
THE court yesterday upheld in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City’s Oct. 29 Sang-guniang Kabataan (SK) election result, with the recount yielding more votes for winner Jeramae Cabaral.
While before she had a margin of only two votes, Cabaral benefited from the “neighborhood rule” and received five more during the recount of SK election returns in the four contested precincts.
Petitioner Charisse Menchavez conceded that she lost, and promised to cooperate with Cabaral, who is a friend, for the sake of Lahug’s youth.
“I have accepted that, maybe, this is not really for me. The voters have spoken, I have accepted the result,” she told Sun.Star Cebu.
“Although I didn’t win, I can still serve the youth. I will gladly cooperate with the winner. The reason why I ran is because I want to serve. It does not end here,” she added.
In a separate interview, Barangay Captain Mary Ann delos Santos said she felt vindicated after she was accused of meddling in the Oct. 29 elections.
“I have to be magnanimous in victory. It (election controversy) was brought to the proper forum, and like I said before, the youth has spoken,” she said.
Menchavez alleged that the camp of de los Santos, who backed Cabaral, tried to intimidate her witnesses into retracting their sworn statements on “irregularities” they noticed during the elections last Oct. 29.
Among the concerns she raised in their election protest and recount petition was that a vote for Cabaral written on the first slot for SK councilor was still counted, even when the slot for SK chairperson carried Charisse’s name.
She said the Board of Election Tellers still included the votes for Cabaral even when her name was written on the last slot for SK councilor in the ballot. The “neighborhood rule” applies only when the name is written on the first slot for councilor instead of the space for chairperson.
The barangay tanods were also allegedly used while barangay officials were around during the counting for the SK.
Cabaral’s father, Gerardo, got reelected as barangay councilor under de los Santos’ ticket.
De los Santos said, though, that everything should be put behind them and that the reconciliation process should start.
After all, she said, they are all into the conflict because of their desire to serve the public.
De los Santos said she advised Cabaral to serve fairly and be the SK chairperson of all the youth, even to those who did not vote for her.
After the recount, done in the sale of Municipal Trial Court in Cities Branch 2 judge Oscar Andrino, Cabaral ended up with 270 votes compared to Menchavez’s 263.
Cabaral said she was elated with the result, especially that she was the one who ended up benefiting from the neighborhood rule.
She and Menchavez shook hands after the recount and promised to each other to put the past behind.
Menchavez said she will concentrate on a youth group she started in Lahug that she hopes will flourish and grow in the city. (RHM)
