Durano assails Frasco victory, files poll protest before HRET

CEBU, Philippines — Former congressman Ramon “Red” Durano VI has asked the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) to do a manual recount of the votes in Cebu’s Fifth District, questioning the win of Rep. Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco in the May polls.

Through his lawyer, former Commission on Elections Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, Durano alleged there were glaring irregularities recorded and observed on election day, including malfunctioning Vote Counting Machines (VCMs), which delayed in the process by no less than four hours in some areas.

Durano said several voters who cast ballots in his favor reportedly complained that their voter’s receipt did not reflect his name.

He said the appreciation and counting of votes cast are crucial yet poll watchers do not participate in these parts of the process.

He believes that a manual recount of votes “is the ultimate way to know the truth,” saying no less than President Rodrigo Duterte told the Comelec after the May elections to “dispose of that Smartmatic and look for a new one that is free of fraud.”

“We took it as a marching order to substantiate this statement from the Honorable President with an actual case,” said Danao Mayor Ramon Durano III, chairman of Barug Alang sa Kauswagan ug Demokrasya (BAKUD).

“The math could have been simple; we won in 9 out of 11 municipalities. In the entire Camotes Islands, their camp managed to secure just one councilorial post only. For them to take the congressional seat, widespread anomalies must be considered in the equation,” Nito said.

Red, for his part, said “our leaders have urged us to push through with this case. This is about restoring integrity to our democratic institutions: that power resides in the people’s ballot and not from the highest bidder to rig the elections.”

Frasco, for his part, said Durano’s protest confirms how much Durano is out of touch of the people in the district.

“The Duranos’ inability to accept that people want change and a better life is symptomatic of the tyrannical rule that has shackled the 5th District for far too long. This is precisely the type of governance that both President Rodrigo Duterte and Mayor Sara Duterte abhor, as they, too, wanted change in the 5th, by endorsing my candidacy against Red Durano,” Frasco said in a statement.

The Duranos have ruled the Fifth District for 70 years.

Frasco said he has not received a copy of the protest yet, as of yesterday, “but I take it as a welcome opportunity to further affirm the resounding victory and almost 36,000 lead given to me by the people of the 5th district in the last elections."

Frasco garnered a total of 152,435 votes while Durano got 116, 826 votes. — with Jed Harvey M. Ondiano, CNU Intern/JMO (FREEMAN)