Protested ballot box empty

CEBU, Philippines - Either the teachers or the municipal treasurer would be held liable for the loss of ballots that were supposedly inside a box that is subject to an election protest in one of Cordova town's barangays, said Provincial Election Supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano yesterday.

He was reacting to the report that one of the seven ballot boxes were found empty during the recounting of votes cast in Barangay Bangbang, Cordova at the Municipal Trial Court (MTC) in Consolacion last Thursday.

Eligio "Liboy" Mantilla filed the election protest against Barangay Captain Samuel Sumagang, who is allegedly the cousin of Municipal Treasurer Jaime Sumagang, custodian of all election paraphernalia.

During the recount of the six ballot boxes by a revision committee at the MTC, Mantilla reportedly got eight votes ahead of Sumagang.

Mantilla claimed that he won by 43 votes in the precinct whose ballot box was discovered empty.

Mantilla's lawyer Teachie Albeos told The FREEMAN that the revision committee would submit a report to MTC Presiding Judge Jocelyn Uy-Po as well as their respective evidence, which include the empty ballot box.

Albeos said that their intention was to ask the court to count the invalidated votes, where Mantilla's name was written in the first space provided for the town councilors.

"Along the way daghan (many) irregularities amo nabantayan (were found by us)," she said.

Mantilla said he is planning to file charges against Jaime and the chairman of the board of election teller Teochris Inoc, who is allegedly a second cousin of Samuel.

Mantilla alleged that Inoc refused to give the certificate of votes while some official ballots bore no signature at the back.

Jaime, he said, should be charged for the empty ballot box.

Castillano said that as soon as they receive it, they would forward the complaint to the Legal Department of the Commission on Elections in Manila for determination of probable cause.

He said they need to trace where the ballots were removed from the box because only the board of election inspectors, which is composed of the teachers, and the municipal treasurer are the ones in custody of the box.

Castillano said he was informed by the Cordova election officer that the subject ballot box was retrieved from Jaime's office.

Jaime cannot be reached for his side when The FREEMAN tied to call his office at the town hall.-/RHM (FREEMAN)