Pasay recall polls: Santos vs Trinidad

Initial and unofficial vote tallies showed the Pasay City mayorship slipping away from the ailing Jovito Claudio, who was running a distant third in Pasay's first recall elections yesterday which officials declared as generally peaceful, orderly and clean.

Former vice mayor Wenceslao "Peewee" Trinidad was running neck and neck with ex-policeman Ricardo "Ding" Santos, a former bodyguard of former mayor Pablo Cuneta, Claudio's predecessor.

Independent candidate Romulo Marcelo was in last place in the four-cornered mayoralty race.

Despite the searing summer heat and sweltering humidity, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) estimated voter turnout at 50 percent.

As of 5:35 p.m., according to the unofficial count of the election watchdog National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel), tallies from 34 precincts showed Trinidad with 1,618 votes, Santos with 1,570, Claudio, 348; and Marcelo, 3.

The ailing, wheelchair-bound Claudio was the first candidate to cast his vote, arriving at Pasay City East Elementary School at around 7 a.m., accompanied by his family and a personal nurse.

With most of his body paralyzed by a major stroke last year, Claudio had to be assisted in some simple tasks such as affixing his thumb mark and signature.

Using his left hand, Claudio was only able to sign his first name and his last name's first few letters.

Claudio told reporters briefly that he was hopeful that he would be able to finish his term which ends in 2001. He said he doesn't intend to seek re-election next year.

Trinidad cast his vote at Rizal Elementary School at around 8:30 a.m., confident of victory.

"Atin na ito. I have received offers of support from the leaders (of Pasay). They were coming up to me and offering their congratulations," he said.

Santos was the last candidate to vote, arriving at Cuneta Elementary School at around 11:20 a.m. "I'm very confident," he told reporters of his chances of winning.

A number of incidents were reported early in the day ranging from electioneering to vote buying.

Comelec Chairwoman Harriette Demetriou told a press conference that about 25 Santos supporters were briefly detained by police in separate incidents for illegal campaigning.

They were wearing T-shirts with sticker decals bearing the logo of the Preparatory Recall Assembly (PRA) which, Demetriou said, had shown bias for Santos.

They were released after agreeing to refrain from wearing the shirts.

Two women reportedly working for Claudio's camp were arrested at P. Burgos Elementary School allegedly for vote buying. They were identified as Calinca Garnica and her daughter Criselda Llonador.

According to Demetriou, a list containing 17 names of voters at the voting precinct of Barangay 46, Zone 6, was found on the women. The voters were to be paid P100 for their votes.

The Comelec also received one report of vote padding wherein 54 people reportedly resided in one address, a four-door apartment on 22 F. Angeles st.

The apartment owner, Winnie Siy, in a sworn affidavit said none of the 54 names were her tenants. But a Pasay City Muslim leader, Jamil Pantar, said the 54 were Muslims who used the address for registration and mailing purposes only.

Demetriou toured polling places and found the exercise orderly.

But one Santos supporter, lawyer Rey Bagatsing of the PRA, claimed that there was a shortage of indelible ink, which is used for preventing people from voting repeatedly.

Demetriou said there was no shortage and that she personally checked the sufficiency of election materials a day before the polls.

Metro Manila police director Chief Superintendent Edgardo Aglipay said about 1,000 policemen were detailed at polling precincts, with 1,000 more standing by in case of trouble.

Aglipay reported that 28 people were arrested in separate incidents for violating the liquor ban, and six people for violating the gun ban.- With Sandy Araneta, Jaime Laude, Ella Oducayen