Thursday, December 20, 2007 8 refuse to concede in Talisay, bring election gripes to court
APART from the petition for a recount in Barangay San Isidro, eight more election-related cases were filed at the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) in Talisay City.
These include formal protests, mostly questioning alleged fraud in the Oct. 29 elections, or seeking the revision of ballots.
Three of these cases stemmed from the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections, while the rest were petitions for recounting of votes of elected barangay captains and councilmen in at least five villages.
The proclamation of Barangay Captains Antonio Cabrera of San Roque, Joel Orbiso of Jaclupan and Perla Cabanes of Tanke are being protested in court.
The protestants are defeated candidates Elzevier Abraham of San Roque, Placido Labajo of Jaclupan and Castro Belme Mabuyo of Tanke.
Also, defeated aspiring councilors in Jaclupan—Rommel Batican, Ramiro Tabay, Mario Gilluano, Rodines Labajo and Henry dela Torre—filed a similar protest against the elected Jaclupan councilors led by Cresencia Abatayo.
A complaint was also filed against the newly elected councilors of Barangay San Roque. Protestants Enrique Yap and Rogerico Quijote named Carmelo Alegre and other elected candidates as respondents.
Meanwhile, Jerah Barbara Cabo, an SK aspirant, filed a protest against proclaimed Lawaan I SK Chairperson Chavalie Michelle Arigo.
Arigo reportedly won only by one vote over Cabo.
Defeated SK aspirant for councilor Kingsley Batican of Jaclupan also questioned the qualifications of elected SK Chairperson Dean Lyle Abatayo.
Batican filed a petition for quo warranto because Abatayo allegedly filled out a form for the post of SK councilor and not for chairperson.
In Barangay San Isidro, the election protest of Marietta Bucao, wife of City Councilor Alan Bucao, is still pending at MTCC-Talisay City.
Marietta claimed that the election in San Isidro was marred by “dagdag-bawas” (vote padding and shaving), vote-buying and irregularities in the counting of votes.
She ran for the village’s top post against the proclaimed Barangay Captain Ma. Adelaida Restauro, wife of City Councilor Serrie Restauro. (GC)
