MAGALANG -- Mayor Malu Lacson has urged her constituents here to keep calm following the delay in the counting of votes.
Votes coming from 16 clustered precincts remain uncounted after the SD cards of vote counting machines (VCMs) were corrupted.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) local office suspended the counting while waiting for the SD cards to be reconfigured by the agency's regional office Wednesday, May 15.
"I understand that the glitches in the official counting of votes is causing unrest amongst the people of Magalang," Lacson said.
The reelectionist mayor expressed sadness over the issue and hope that the canvassing will continue as soon as possible.
"I, too, am saddened of the delay of the election results and am hoping that the votes would come in and would be officially counted the soonest possible time," she said.
Lacson said her team, One Magalang, advocates for clean and honest elections and assures the public that they will not act on anything that would taint the sanctity of the election's turnout.
She called the camp and supporters of her rival in the mayoralty race, former Mayor Romulo "Romy" Pecson, to do the same thing.
"We trust that the other party will be of the same composure," she said.
Lacson said the local government unit suspended work at the municipal hall to prevent any untoward incidents related to the issue and the ongoing counting of votes by the local office of the Comelec.
"We have taken actions in order to contain the irresponsible public who chose to fabricate stories in their willingness to create doubts in the minds of our people and to put the One Magalang team to shame," Lacson said.
She said she is optimistic that she will get the highest number of votes and win the mayoralty race.
"I believe that the Almighty will endow the good Magalenos with the right person to genuinely lead and sincerely serve His people," Lacson said.
"Being a woman for others, I truly believe that I, together with Vice Mayor (Norman) Lacson will set our foot at the municipal hall tomorrow
for the proclamation," she added.