TALISAY City Mayor-elect Gerald Anthony "Samsam" Gullas Jr. urged his rival, defeated mayoral candidate and outgoing Vice Mayor Alan Bucao, to respect the will of the majority.
In a video posted on his official Facebook page, Gullas responded to Bucao's allegations that he and his group, Barug Lumad Talisaynon, were cheated during the May 9, 2022 elections.
Bucao failed to dethrone incumbent Mayor Gullas, getting only 31,277 votes to Gullas’ 93,701 votes.
"I respect their right to protest and to voice out their stand. That is the reason why I let them hold rallies in front of the Talisay City Hall as long as they wanted, even without the necessary permit, and even until the end of my term as the mayor of the city. However, I hope they would also respect the majority of Talisaynons who voted for me as their mayor," Gullas said.
Gullas also urged Bucao to file a formal protest before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) rather than order his supporters to hold rallies.
But Gullas said even as Bucao's supporters continue to protest his victory, he will continue to serve them since they are also his constituents.
"All in all, I just want to say that I will serve as the mayor of Talisay City, even for those who do not believe in me. I stand for a unifying administration," Gullas added. (HIC)