Daanbantayan mayoralty aspirant Augusto Corro yesterday said the court has declared him winner of the May 14, 2007 elections.
Corro called a press conference yesterday afternoon to formally announce that the decision handed by Bogo City Regional Trial Court Branch 61 judge Antonio Marigomen favored him.
However, Corro said he has yet to receive a copy of the actual decision from the court. What he has instead is a notice of appeal by the other camp against a decision “contrary to law and evidence”.
“I wish to announce that as of 1 p.m. today, August 21, my legal counsel received a copy of a Notice of Appeal from Sun J. Shimura, and Vice Mayor Maria Luisa Loot appealing the result of the election protest I filed,” he said in a prepared statement.
Corro ran as mayor against Shimura while Jose De Leon ran as vice mayor against Loot during the May 2007 elections.
Corro said he welcomed the decision of the court with all humility saying that justice has been served for the people of Daanbantayan.
“Mapasalamaton ko sa atong mga constituents sa ilang dakong pagsalig kanako. Mi apela ko nga unta magmalinawon lang kitang tanan ug atong respetuhan ang desisyon nga gipakanaug sa korte,” Corro said.
Corro also thanked his supporters for their patience and also said he has no ill feelings for his opponents.
“I would also like to offer an olive branch to our opponent. I hope we can set aside our personal differences and work together for the greater good of our beloved Daanbantayan,” Corro said.
Corro also asked the court to declare that he has obtained the plurality of the valid votes cast, annul the proclamation of Shimura and order his political opponent to pay him P500,000 in damages.
Corro filed the election protest against Shimura on May 24, 2007 saying he was a victim of “various electoral anomalies, massive fraud and irregularities and synchronized terrorism in all of the protested precincts.”
Shimura, the son of incumbent Vice Mayor Loot, was initially declared winner with 15,800 votes over Corro’s 13,707 or a margin of 2,093.
Shimura’s camp said that they will formally answer the issue in a press conference today. —Jose P. Sollano/BRP