Noli’s lead over Loren increases based on PET revision reports

Vice President Noli de Castro widened his lead in votes over former senator Loren Legarda, based on the Presidential Electoral Tribunal’s (PET) revision reports tabulation.

De Castro’s winning margin increased by a net of 2,228 votes after a physical recount of ballots from Cebu conducted by the revisors of Legarda and De Castro before the PET.

Based on Cebu’s Provincial Certificate of Canvass (CoCs), De Castro’s lead over Legarda increased from 688,538 to 690,766 votes as per the physical recount in the Supreme Court.

De Castro garnered 886,910 votes compared to Legarda’s 198,372 votes, as reflected in the provincial certificate of canvass of Cebu.

But after the physical recount of ballots, De Castro garnered a total of 890,074 votes as against Legarda’s 199,308.

De Castro gained 3,164 votes while Legarda earned only 936 votes, or a net increase in margin of 2,228 votes in his favor.

Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal said President Arroyo was elated after he informed her of the developments concerning Legarda’s election protest against De Castro.

Macalintal, who is also the election counsel of the President, said the results of the recounting would be the same as the presidential race, which Mrs. Arroyo won in May 10, 2004 elections.

He pointed out the ballots and election returns that are being recounted for the vice presidential race are the same election documents where Mrs. Arroyo won in the May election.

"There being no significant findings that would materially change the results of the election in the vice-presidential position and there being no findings of the massive fraud ... the said results in the Legarda protest is a resounding demonstration that the President’s more than one million vote-lead in Cebu alone had been affirmed and confirmed," Macalintal declared.

If Legarda fails to prove massive fraud in Cebu, Macalintal pointed out the possibility of the PET throwing out her election protest against De Castro.

But if Legarda can prove her claim of more than 300,000 ballots illegally counted in favor of De Castro, then the PET may find it proper to continue the revision of ballots from other provinces, he said.

Macalintal expressed confidence the developments could eventually convince the PET of the futility of a recount and dismiss the election protest in favor of De Castro. — Pia Lee-Brago