Loot claims 500 teachers can refute poll "cheating"

CEBU - Daanbantayan Vice Mayor Ma. Luisa Loot is not giving up the fight for her position as she claimed about 500 teachers who acted as board of election inspectors during the last elections have executed affidavits attesting that there was no cheating at the precinct level.

In all, the town has 549 teachers who served as election inspectors during the May 2007 elections.

“Kini magpamatud nga wala’y tikas ang election diri sa Daanbantayan. Wala’y ballot switching ug ballot tamperings. Kung naa man gani didto ra na nahitabo sa korte not at the precinct level,” Loot said.

Augusto Corro, the defeated mayoralty candidate who was later declared by the court as the winner in the mayoralty race, said in a press statement sent to The FREEMAN that the teachers were coerced into signing affidavits to revive Loot’s defense, a move that he called desperate.

He questioned how the Loots can claim to have 500 affidavits from the BEIs because during their previous hearings, the Loots told the court that they can present 224 teachers as witnesses but ended up with only one teacher.

Corro also said affidavits secured by force cannot be used in court.

“In their desperation to remain in power despite the ruling of the court to execute judgment pending appeal, they are resorting to expensive moves in the hopes that they can win in the bar of public opinion,” Corro said.

Corro called on the people of Daanbantayan to allow peace and sobriety to prevail and also asked the Loots to refrain from subverting the rule of law.

“I assure them that they are in my thoughts and prayers. Let us not be carried away by these expensive and desperate acts of theatrics,” he said.

 Loot earlier said that Corro and his running mate Jose de Leon, the defeated vice mayoralty candidate who was also declared by the court as winner, should stop fantasizing.

Loot said that the decision of the lower court is not enough reason for her and her son, Mayor Sun Shimura to vacate the post as she assured the people of her town that they will remain in their positions until the 2010 elections.

Loot added that that with the long court procedure and legal battle, Corro and de Leon will never sit as mayor and vice mayor even for a day before 2010. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/BRP (THE FREEMAN)