Losing Pasil poll bet files protest

CEBU, Philippines - A defeated candidate for councilman of Barangay Pasil, Cebu City has filed an election protest before the court.

Veronica Veron Babatid alleged that votes “lawfully and validly” casted in her favor were “deliberately misappreciated” by the various chairmen of the different board of election tellers (BETs) in specific precincts which led to her loss.

In her complaint, Babatid stated that some of her opponents won because of election anomalies, irregularities and fraud discrepancies in election return.

She alleged that some of valid votes which were supposedly for her were “intentionally counted or tallied” under some of her opponents.

With this, Babatid asked for the revision of results in 21 protested precincts of the said barangay.

Protestees or the some of  newly elected barangay councilmen, who were sued before the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) were Anthony Vandolf Villarin (5th place), Julito “Daddy” Cabasa (6th place) and Romeo Ocarol Sr. (7th place).

Based on the official results, Villarin garnered 3,215 votes, Cabasa had 3,205 votes, Ocarol had 3,106 votes while Babatid got the 10th slot with 2,846 votes.

Barangay Pasil has 7,696 total registered voters and has 21 total number of clustered precincts.

Babatid said that there were “widespread threats and coercion occurred in most, if not all of the protested precincts.”

She added that hundreds of registered voters identified by her party attempted to go inside the polling precinct to vote but were allegedly harassed by the supporters and leaders of the protestees (except Ocarol), thus were forced to go home without being able to cast their votes.

“In fact, among those responsible for the harassment and coercion were candidates and barangay officials and tanods allied with the protestees except Ocarol, who blatantly and openly violated the 50 meter prohibited zone and who freely roamed within the polling place despite valid and just protestations and objections from the protestant’s watchers, supporters and followers,” she stressed.

Aside from the registered voters, Babatid said her watchers were allegedly being threatened, intimated and harassed by the supporters of the protestees (except Ocarol), thereby, forcing most of them to leave their post.

Babatid also mentioned that there was vote-buying in their barangay.

“…buying of votes and other forms of vote buying were resorted to by the protestees (except Ocarol) in order to pressure voters to vote them or not to cast their votes for the protestant,” she said, adding the alleged vote buying were conducted by the supporters, leaders and coordinators of the protestees (except Ocarol).

Villarin, Cabasa and Ocarol are set to answer the complaint.- (FREEMAN)