Corrupted SD cards delay proclamation in Bacolod

BACOLOD. Grupo Progreso supporters await for the proclamation of the winning candidates last night, May 14, 2019 at the canvassing center at Sangguniang Panlungsod in Bacolod City. (Merlinda Pedrosa)
BACOLOD. Grupo Progreso supporters await for the proclamation of the winning candidates last night, May 14, 2019 at the canvassing center at Sangguniang Panlungsod in Bacolod City. (Merlinda Pedrosa)

THE Bacolod City Board of Canvassers (BOC) is still waiting for the four corrupted secure digital (SD) cards that were sent to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Iloilo City so they can declare the winning candidates in Bacolod City.

City election registrar Ann Janette Lamban said they sent the four corrupted SD cards to the Comelec Regional Office in Iloilo City on Tuesday morning, May 14.

She said of four corrupted SD cards, two were already fixed and it’s expected to be delivered in the city today.

The corrupted SD cards are from the clustered precincts of Andres Bonificio Elementary School-2 in Barangay 3 with expected 767 registered voters; Barangay Estefania elementary school with 993 registered voters; Vista Alegre Elementary School with 996 registered voters; and Pagla-um Village Elementary School in Barangay Mansilingan with 933 registered voters.

The BOC led by Lamban as chairman, Perico Hernaez Hernaez as vice chairman and lawyer Giovanni Alfonso Miraflores as secretary reconvened at 7 p.m. last night but will resume by 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Lamban said they are expecting that the four SD cards will be delivered Wednesday so they can proclaim the winning candidates.

Several supporters of Grupo Progreso also waited at the canvassing center last night for the proclamation of the winning candidates.

Grupo Progreso legal team led by Marvin Tanada filed an appeal to BOC last night to lower the threshold of the proclamation of the top three posts such as the congressional, mayoral and vice-mayoral pending the arrival of the four SD cards which were corrupted.

Tanada said that considering that 98 percent of the election returns has been already counted and uploaded, the margin of the winning candidates from congressman, mayor and vice-mayor is so overwhelming.

“If the approval of the commission of our motion will come first then, the three winning candidates for congressman, mayor and vice mayor will be proclaimed, but if the SD cards will arrive ahead then, all the winning candidates will be proclaimed,” he said.

“So we are expecting that it will be approve soon so that we can proclaim the first three winning candidates because the lowering of the threshold should not be less than 90 percent of the votes has been counted,” he added

Tanada noted that the approval of their motion will come from the Comelec national office.

Lamban said the Grupo Progreso appeal will be forwarded to the Comelec national office.

As of 8 p.m., Comelec records showed that Grupo Progreso led by re-electionist Mayor Evelio Leonardia, incumbent Congressman Greg Gasataya and incumbent Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran still took a lead in partial and unofficial result.

For congressional race incumbent Greg Gasataya had 133, 822 votes. Monico Puentevella had 83, 638 votes; and Kevin Moises had 3, 697 votes.

For mayoral race Leonardia had 143, 115 votes; Jocelle Batapa-Sigue had 80, 244 votes; and Ray Carmona had 1, 740 votes.

For vice mayoral race Familiaran had 124, 707 votes and Jude Thaddeus Sayson had 90,803 votes.

For councilor race, 11 candidates of Grupo Progreso are on top 12. They are incumbent Councilor Cindy Rojas with 133,438 votes; incumbent Councilor Renecito Novero with 130,110 votes; Simple Distrito with 121,856 votes; Carl Lopez with 118,560 votes; Al Espino with 115,076 votes; Archie Baribar with 113,219 votes; Israel Salanga with 113,060 votes; Dindo Ramos with 107,003 votes; Bart Orola with 105,186 votes; Ana Marie Palermo with 104,441votes; Elmer Sy with 99, 746 votes.

The last spot is occupied by incumbent Councilor Wilson Gamboa of ABB-MKK with 86, 258 votes.

Bacolod City has a total 312, 816 registered voters, but only 238, 781 voters actually voted, with a total of 353 clustered precincts.

Meanwhile, Leonardia already expressed his gratitude to the people of Bacolod.

“To my beloved people of Bacolod. You have spoken. We are humbled by your will. The mandate you have given me and Grupo Progreso is overwhelming, unprecedented, (and) historical. I had appealed for a 15-0 sweep and you listened. In fact, you gave us even more. You gave us margins over our opponents that no one before us has ever gotten. Although one of us is still fighting it out for the last council slot, we, in the GP family, do not miss your message, so loudly and clearly declared in the vote,” Leonardia said.

H said: “You have given us a mandate like no other in the history of politics in Bacolod. We can only now promise you we will work as no one has ever worked to build a better, stronger Bacolod. At no other time have I realized than now that I am here as leader of our city only because our people wish me to be. Indeed power comes from God through our people. Our people put me here. It is to them that I owe this temporary power. It is for them that I dedicate my service.”

“Allow me now to thank my wife Elsa and my children EJ and Kara and the rest of the family: their love and support sustained and will sustain me as I pursue our people’s dreams. Most of all, I would also like to acknowledge and thank the support of many people from all walks of life who voted for us, and my GP party-mates and GP organization that helped us wage this successful campaign.”

Leonardia was also thankful to the INC and to those who endorsed him like President Rodrigo Duterte, Mayor Sara Duterte, Ambassador Danding Cojuangco, Senate President Tito Sotto, PDP President Koko Pimentel and many others.

“Once more, thank you my beloved people. With God’s help, we shall not fail you,” Leonardia said.

Trending

No stories found.

Just in

No stories found.

Branded Content

No stories found.
SunStar Publishing Inc.
www.sunstar.com.ph