CITY OF SAN FERNANDO Governor Dennis Pineda has appealed to his opponent in the recent gubernatorial race,
Danilo Baylon, to respect the decision of the Commission on Election (Comelec) which junked the later's
election protest.
The governor said Baylon and his supporters should respect the voice of the Kapampangan people who voted for
him.
Pineda added that Baylon's camp should stop making up stories because the election is over.
"Sa buong campaign period, nanira sila at gumawa ng mga salita. Tapos na ang halalan, naninira pa rin sila.
Sana po, pakinggan nila ang order ng Comelec. Igalang po sana nila ang boses ng nakararami," the governor
said.
Pineda defeated Baylon in the gubernatorial race during the last May 9, 2022 polls.
In a 10-page order received by Pineda’s office on Aug. 4, the Second Division of Comelec ruled that the
protest of Baylon was “insufficient in form and content as required in Section 7 (g), Rule 6 in relation to
Section 9 (b), Rule 6 of COMELEC Resolution No. 8804, as amended.”
The order, dated July 15, was signed by Second Division Presiding Commissioner Marlon S. Casquejo and
Commissioner Rey E. Bulay.
With regards to Baylon’s allegations of irregularites and massive vote-buying, the Second Division stated
“The non-specification of the material facts such as names of the persons involved, the time of occurrence
and the precints where the allegations transpired render these averments blatantly unjustified and
groundless.”
A part of the order read “Though defeat in any elections is desolating for the losing candidate, an election
protest must not be mused as a vindication of a lost opportunity of the noble cause to serve the public, or
worst, as an unjustified assertion of a wounded pride.”
Pineda beat Baylon by garnering 668,787 votes in the two-way race, according to a certified true copy of a
provincial certificate of canvass.
The governor said the decision of the Comelec is right and just because he believes in the integrity of
the Kapampangan electorate.
“Ang order po ng Comelec na i-dismiss ang election protest ay tama at makatarungan kasi po naniniwala po
ako na hindi mabibili ang mga Kapampangan,” the governor said. (RGN)