Congressional candidate Jonathan “Atan” Guardo and vice mayoralty bet Raymond Garcia finally conceded their fight against their respective opponents yesterday.
Guardo made his announcement in a press conference he called at the Ecotech Center shortly before noon yesterday while Garcia issued a press statement.
The board of election canvassers, headed by city election officer Marchel Sarno, was still set to proclaim the winners of the election in the south district but Guardo said he had to accept his defeat from the hands of reelectionist Rep. Antonio Cuenco.
Guardo said the reason for not conceding earlier was that he wanted to protect the rights of his candidates for councilor and not to let them be discouraged of the outcome during the initial days of the canvassing.
All candidates of the Bando Osmeña Pundok-Kauswagan of reelectionist Mayor Tomas Osmeña have dominated the votes already canvassed as of yesterday.
Guardo’s supporters have allegedly discovered some irregularities in the conduct of elections in the district, one of which was at Precinct 1692-A in barangay Inayawan where the votes for Cuenco was “padded” from 92 to 102.
Another was at Precinct 2810 in barangay Punta Princesa where his votes when added to Cuenco would allegedly exceed the total number of registered voters for that polling place.
Guardo however admitted that, even if these were corrected, these were not enough to change the election results. “ Sagdi na lang, angkonon nako nga pilde g’yod mi,” Guardo told reporters.
He suggested instead that the opposition members in the city must be politically active, not only during the campaign period, if they want to be strong enough to defeat the BOPK candidates in the 2010 elections.
Cuenco, upon learning of Guardo’s surrender, was all praises for his opponent. “ I salute to him and I will offer my hands for a reconciliation,” said the veteran legislator with an offer for Guardo to manage the sports activities in the district.
Although Guardo did not say if he will accept Cuenco’s offer, the former city sports consultant said he would continue his sports program in the district.
For the vice mayoralty race, Raymond Garcia of Guardo’s camp also conceded the fight to his opponent, reelectionist Vice Mayor Michael Rama of the BOPK.
Garcia, in his one-page statement, told Cebuanos, “You have voted a good man, an honest man, a man who fought this fight with decency, fairness and good character. Cebuanos, you have chosen well. I salute you.”
Garcia even described the May 14 election as “clean and fair” unlike those in 2001 and 2004 when his father Alvin complained of being cheated for losing the mayoralty race to Osmeña.
Garcia, who is also a lawyer, said the people whose voice is the supreme law have spoken. “Thank you for choosing wisely and in good conscience. Truly, you make me proud to be a Cebuano,” he said to them.
In his message to Rama, he said: “They have chosen you as our leader. You have a monumental task ahead of you, and I pray that God grant you the strength and wisdom to lead us well.”
In the city mayoralty race, Mary Ann delos Santos had already conceded to Osmeña the day after the election. —Rene U. Borromeo/RAE