Saturday, August 23, 2008 Salimbangon offers P500T for more proof on vote tampering
REP. Benhur Salim-bangon (Cebu, 4th district) presented more than 80 witnesses in his bid to prove that there was tampering of ballots in the 2007 elections in the fourth district.
He also dangled P500,000 as reward to those who would come out with more evidence.
The 80 witnesses are teachers who served during the elections, particularly those who counted the ballots in the congressional race in the fourth district, where
Salimbangon faced off with Celestino “Tining” Martinez III.
“They were all shocked to see that the signatures at the back of the ballots were not their own,” Salimbangon said.
“Their testimonies were also not refuted,” added lawyer Delon Richel Ramon Urot, Salimbangon’s legal counsel.
Salimbangon and Martinez both filed electoral protests before the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET).
When Salimbangon’s protest was tackled, Urot said they presented evidence that ballots were tampered with in Bogo City and the towns of Daanbantayan, Madridejos and Sta. Fe.
Urot said that in the four localities, there was widespread ballot-switching and forging of the teachers’ signatures.
As for the statements from the Martinez camp that the HRET will soon declare the winning candidate, Salimbangon said: “They have been saying that since last year.”
Last February, Martinez claimed victory by over 3,000 votes in a recount by the HRET.
Salimbangon, for his part, brushed off the claim as a political gimmick of the Martinezes.
He also claimed to have won by over 4,000 votes based on the count made by the Cebu-Citizens Involvement and Maturation in People’s Empowerment and Liberation (C-CIMPEL), had it not been for the election fraud allegedly committed by his opponent.
The Commission on Elections declared Salimbangon as the winner with a margin of 104 votes. (JGA)
