DEFEATED mayoral candidate Ephraim Pelaez Jr. will file today a petition before the Comelec in Manila for the nullification of the proclamation Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza and her entire slate as winners in the May 13 election.
In a press conference at his mansion in Rahman St., Cebu City, Pelaez said Radaza and her camp engaged in terrorism, threats and intimidation against his supporters, and many of them failed to vote.
Pelaez said the election violations were committed by Radaza and her camp, specifically in Barangays Mactan, Basak, Punta Engaño, all in the mainland, and in Barangays Baring, Caohagan, Caubian, Sta. Rosa, San Vicente, Talima, Tingo and Tungasan all in Oland Island, which covered 64 clustered precincts.
In the official Comelec tally, Radaza got 62,874 votes, while Pelaez got 53,596 or a difference of over 9,200.
Pelaez said the votes he got in the May 13, 2013 elections was a big improvement to the only more than 10,000 votes he got when he first ran against Radaza in the May 10, 2010 elections. Had he got an additional 4,600 votes from his supporters who failed to vote because of terrorism, threats and intimidation, he would have ended a winner.
“The people of Lapu-Lapu City are already rejecting the Radazas, but the Radazas used all the means to retain power, such as the anomalous clean and green projects, all the barangay officials, the policemen, and city government funds,” Pelaez said.
Computation
Pelaez believed that Radaza was able to fix her votes upon learning that he already got 53,596 because of the 128,000 who cast their votes, all the candidates in the congressional race got a total of more than 108,000 votes; and all the candidates in the vice mayoralty race got more than 108,000.
Both Radaza and Pelaez got a total of 119,085 votes or a difference of more than
10,000 votes from the candidates for congressman and vice mayor.
“It’s impossible that 10,000 people would only vote for mayor, and worse in favor of Paz Radaza, without voting other candidates,” Pelaez said.
According to Pelaez, the proposal to create Mactan Province and Olango town is only a diversionary tactic created by Radaza’s public relations man, Jonji Gonzales, so the people will easily forget the terrorism, threats and intimidation they’ve committed against the people.
Pelaez is represented by lawyers Bernardito Florido and Joan Largo of the Florido and Largo Law Office.
The petition was supposed to be filed yesterday, but the lawyers still have to make
another set of copies as required by the Comelec Manila.
In the petition, Pelaez asked the Comelec that after nullifying the proclamation of Radaza, he be declared the real winner as Lapu-Lapu City mayor.
Let him
When sought for comment, Lapu-Lapu Mayor Paz Radaza said, “Let him file all the cases he wants.”
Lapu-Lapu City consultant Jonji Gonzales said the mayor’s camp plans to file a case of electoral sabotage against Pelaez.
Gonzales, in a phone interview, said there is an unexplainable discrepancy between the votes Pelaez received and the highest votes received by a candidate for councilor under his slate.
Pelaez may have paid voters to vote only for him, Gonzales said.
“We received reports about massive vote-buying executed by Pelaez,” said Gonzales, adding that Radaza’s lawyers are gathering more evidence for the case of electoral sabotage against the businessman.