CITING lack of basis and merit, La Castellana mayor-elect Rhumyla Nicor-Mangilimutan is asking the court to dismiss the election protest filed by her opponent.
Nicor- Mangilimutan, in a press conference with lawyer Cesar Beloria at her office in La Castellana Thursday, May 30,2019 said she will also sue the complainant for damages.
Nicor-Mangilimutan won her re-election bid against Chad Feria with a lead of 3,000 votes.
In her reply affidavit, the mayor said the petitioner is “making a guessing game and on a fishing expedition.”
The affidavit further stated that “protestant failed to state or show in particularity what are those illegal acts in order to justify the opening of the ballots in the said clustered precincts.”
It can be recalled that Feria in his election protest claimed that the recent May 13 elections was marred with irregularities.
Beloria, for his part, said the poll protest is an exercise in futility.
Moreover, Nicor-Mangilimutan said she is filing libel charges against a supporter of her opponent for allegedly distributing black propaganda materials that maligned her and her family.
It also violated her rights as a woman, her lawyer said.
The mayor said they delayed the filing of charges as she hoped that the person concerned would show remorse.