Gullas on Bucao’s petition: A fake protest done to satisfy feelings

Photo by Earl Padronia
Photo by Earl Padronia

REELECTED Talisay City Mayor Gerard Anthony “Samsam” Gullas Jr. on Monday, June 20, 2022, appealed to his defeated rival, Vice Mayor Alan Bucao, to file a protest for recount instead of a petition to declare a failure of election.

“For me, that is a fake protest that is done to satisfy their feelings. Their protest was to declare failure of election. How can you declare a failure of election if an election took place and the Comelec declared or proclaimed a winner?” he said.

“Hangyo nako kang Vice Mayor Bucao, if you really want to file a protest sa inyong gihangyo, sa inyong gi-protesta, file for a protest for recount, if you really believe you have won,” he added.

Bucao and his entire slate who lost in the May 9 elections filed a petition before the Commission on Elections, asking the poll body to declare a failure of elections in the city due to alleged poll fraud.

They said Talisay City had “experienced massive acts of fraud, manipulation on the results of the election in favor of the incumbent/reelectionist Mayor Gullas and his whole slate.”

The petition was received by the Comelec’s central office in Manila last May 20, 10 days after Gullas and his entire slate were proclaimed winners.

Bucao failed to unseat Gullas in the May 9 polls, getting only 31,277 of the votes cast to the latter’s 93,701.

His running mate Rico Almaria also lost the race for the vice mayor’s seat to Gullas’ partner, Richard Francis Aznar.

Gullas’ partymates also swept all the seats in the City Council, namely, his younger brother Eduardo “Digul” Gullas III, Manuel Cabriana, Rodolfo Cabigas, Danilo Caballero, Marc Arthur Bas, Ferdinand Rabaya, Alito Bacaltos, Gail Restauro, Lester Daan and Ofelia Ylanan.

Aside from Bucao and Almaria, the other complainants are the nine defeated candidates for councilor: Jarred Cabilte, Gilbert de la Serna, Clifford delos Reyes, Aldin Diaz, Iñaki Jordana, Ellen Lastimosa, Lina Libres, Roger Lopernes and Bernard Odilao.

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