Mag-amo tinodas sa tindahan

Cebu fourth district congressional aspirant Benhur Salimbangon has issued what he calls as "fair warning" to teachers, who will be serving in the May 14 elections, against making fraudulent acts.

Salimbangon said that he must utilize all his available resources to prosecute teachers who would taint the electoral process.

Election frauds were reportedly rampant in the fourth district in the 2004 elections allegedly committed by the teachers when they tallied the wrong figure, which reportedly did not match with the actual number of votes.

Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez, Jr. has attested to this report when he got the number of votes bigger than the actual number of registered voters in Bogo town, the hometown of the Martinezes.

In the 2004 elections, Sanchez was the runningmate of former congressman Celestino "Junnie" Martinez, who lost to Governor Gwendolyn Garcia though the latter only got around 700 votes in Bogo.

Garcia and Sanchez are now allies in seeking their reelection bid with Salimbangon in the same party, One Cebu-Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino.

Salimbangon is calling the opposite camp to "help carry out a clean, honest and peaceful election in the fourth district in order to hear the true sentiments of the people."

Salimbangon is running against Bogo Mayor Celestino "Tining" Martinez III, the son of Junie and incumbent 4th district Rep. Clavel Asas-Martinez.

To recall, Salimbangon lost to Clavel in the 1998 congressional race.

Clavel can no longer seek for another term prompting her to run for vice governor against her former ally, Sanchez; while Junnie is running for mayor in Bogo. - Gregg M. Rubio/MEEV