P’sinan mayor, challenger fight over 14 votes

BASISTA, Pangasinan — Fourteen votes mean so much for two politicians here who ran against each other in the mayoralty race in this fifth-class municipality.

Former mayor Jesus Perez, who had served this town as mayor for three successive terms, has filed an electoral protest against incumbent Mayor Raul de Guzman who defeated him by mere 14 votes.

In the official count, De Guzman garnered 6,023 votes against Perez’ 6,009.

Perez, who ran under the administration Lakas-CMD (Christian-Muslim Democrats), filed his electoral protest with the Regional Trial Court in San Carlos City.

De Guzman, who sought his re-election under the opposition Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino, has received a copy of the protest and said he would also file a counter-protest against Perez.

Perez is questioning the election returns in 26 polling precincts where he lost.

De Guzman, for his part, said he would ask for a recount of votes in five barangays where he was defeated.

"Okay lang tutal malinis su agawan eleksyon dia. Anggapoy problema basta ebatan koy protesta da (It’s okay; after all the elections here were clean. There’s no problem and I will just answer his protest)," De Guzman told The STAR.

He said he is leaving the matter to the court even as he appealed to Perez to unite with him since the elections are over.

"We have one purpose which is the good of Basista so let’s just unite. I’m open to reconciliation," De Guzman said, insisting that no cheating marred the municipal polls.

He said it’s up to Perez to control his supporters, some of whom trooped to the house of the municipal election officer, Imelda Lumagi, the night he was proclaimed the winner.

De Guzman said it was the first time that a rally by a candidate’s supporters was held in this peaceful town.

The incident prompted Lumagi to ask for a police escort. But it’s now back to normal for her.

When De Guzman first ran for mayor, he slugged it out with Perez’ son, Lito. The elder Perez was on his third and last term then. De Guzman won by a margin of more than 1,300 votes.

Meanwhile, lawyer Reddy Balarbar, acting provincial supervisor of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), said that aside from this town, election protests were also filed against mayors-elect in the towns of Rosales and San Jacinto, against the vice mayor-elect in San Fabian, and against some municipal council winners in Alcala, Villasis and Laoac.

All these protests were filed within 10 days after the proclamation of the winning candidates, Balarbar said.