Joson rival files poll protest

CABANATUAN CITY — He is not about ready to throw in the towel.

Outgoing third district Rep. Pacifico Fajardo, the Lakas-NUCD gubernatorial bet who lost to incumbent Nueva Ecija Gov. Tomas Joson III, has filed a post-election protest with the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Fajardo is asking the Comelec to declare as illegal the composition or proceedings of the provincial board of canvassers (PBC), annul the canvassing results, and suspend Joson’s proclamation.

Named as respondents were lawyer Severino Santos, PBC chairman; vice chairman Mario Vicencio, Dioscorides Lusung, Joson III and Vice Gov. Eduardo Joson IV.

The PBC earlier proclaimed Joson III winner with 382,173 votes over Fajardo’s 192,647, or a winning margin of 189,526.

In a 11-page petition, Fajardo questioned the PBC’s composition and sought the creation of a new board in accordance with the Omnibus Election Code.

Fajardo argued that Vicencio, being the provincial auditor, should not have been appointed as the PBC’s vice chairman to replace provincial prosecutor Gerardo de Leon who inhibited himself for being a relative of Joson.

Fajardo, represented by lawyer Rodolfo Soriano Jr., said Comelec rules stipulate that the next ranking provincial prosecutor should have been designated.