Abalos son-in-law raps rival

BIÑAN, Laguna — The son-in-law of Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr., who lost in the mayoralty race here, denounced yesterday what he claimed was the "continued smear campaign" against him by his main political rival.

Vice Mayor Jose Francisco Ruben Yatco (KNP) lost to re-electionist Mayor Hermis Perez (K-4) by a margin of more than 14,000 votes.

The canvassing of election returns in this town was delayed for four days after the chairman of the municipal board of canvassers (BOC) was reportedly hospitalized.

It resumed only on May 14 after the Comelec appointed a replacement for Telesporo Descallar as BOC chairman.

The Perez camp has accused Yatco of using the name of his father-in-law in allegedly attempting to manipulate the results of the canvassing.

When the canvassing was stopped a day after the elections, Yatco was trailing behind Perez.

Yatco said the allegations against him were "absurd and highly irregular" and accused Perez of being behind the black propaganda against him.

Perez was proclaimed on May 14 as the winner, garnering 34,586 votes or 9,625 more than Yatco’s 24,961 votes.

Although Perez was declared the winner, Yatco said he would continue telling the people of Biñan that he was a victim of cheating which the re-elected mayor allegedly did.

"That’s a big, fat lie. What he should do is concentrate on how he (Perez) ought to explain to the people of Biñan how he won," Yatco said.

He alleged that Perez engineered systematic cheating in the town’s 24 barangays.

"He made me appear to have won in his own turf but stole my ballots in most of our bailiwicks to show that he convincingly won the elections," Yatco said.

"I never used the influence of my father-in-law in my candidacy and if I really used him, I must be the one celebrating victory instead of defending myself from such incongruous and unfounded allegations," he said.