After losing to his political rival in the election protest, Pardo barangay captain Danilo Lim is mulling elevating the case before the Commission on Elections in Manila and asking the Ombudsman-Visayas at the same time to look into the alleged ballot switching at the Cebu City Treasurer’s Office which has custody of the ballot boxes.
Lawyer Ervin Estandarte said they will file an appeal on Monday before the Comelec to Municipal Trial Court in Cities judge Monalila Tecson’s ruling declaring Fermin Dasmariñas as winner in the last barangay elections.
Estandarte said they will also request the anti-graft office to investigate the people at the city treasurer’s office responsible for alleged ballot switching.
According to Estandarte, votes for his client were reduced in eight precincts while that of Dasmariñas were increased. Estandarte presented yesterday the letter of the teachers to the court standing by the result of the election which was made as basis in the earlier proclamation of Lim as winner.
Based on the letter, Lim garnered 65 votes in precincts 2099A-2100A as against the 128 votes for Dasmariñas as reflected in the tally sheet and the election returns. However, votes for Lim were allegedly reduced by seven during the revision while that of his opponent increased by seven.
Further, Estandarte said that the teachers offered to help the court find out the authenticity of the ballots subjected to the revision but this was allegedly denied by the judge.
Tecson declared the other day that Lim lost to Dasmariñas by 134 votes in the last barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan synchronized elections. — Fred P. Languido/MEEV