Yasay fails to cast vote

DAVAO CITY — Former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman and independent senatorial candidate Perfecto Yasay Jr. failed to cast his vote yesterday after he failed to find his name in the list of registered voters in a precinct in Bo. Obrero this city.

"I decided not to vote, it is just not right," Yasay told The STAR in a telephone interview.

Yasay failed to locate his name when he went at about 6:45 a.m. yesterday to the University of Southeastern Philippines (USP) campus in Bo. Obrero.

He said he was first informed that he was a voter of Precinct 16-A, but later found out that his name was not there, although his relatives’ were listed.

Yasay immediately left for Manila on board the Philippine Airlines’ 8:10 a.m. flight so that his wife, Cecille, and son could vote in Barangay Nayon Kanluran in Quezon City.

Yasay discovered that his name was still listed in the Quezon City precinct where his other family members were registered.

His relatives in Davao later informed him that his name was located in Precinct 223-A at USP.

Yasay said he will work for the erasure of his name in Quezon City and that he will maintain his being a registered voter of Davao City.

"It appeared that my transfer of registration has not been in effect. But I decided not to vote because it is against the law," he said.

Despite his being unable to vote, Yasay said he was still confident of winning. "It is okay, I am confident I will win," he said.

Yasay figured prominently in last year’s stock exchange controversy when he accused former President Joseph Estrada of pressuring him on clearing Dante Tan of Best World Resources of stock manipulation.