Batangas governor’s win under protest

A candidate in Ba-tangas’ gubernatorial race has filed a protest with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) against the proclamation of Gov. Armando San-chez, alleging electoral fraud in three cities and four municipalities of the province.

The electoral protest against Sanchez was filed by his closest political rival, former Nasugbu Mayor Rosario Apacible, who alleged poll irregularities in the cities of Batangas, Lipa and Tanauan, and the towns of Lemery, Sto. Tomas, Rosario and Padre Garcia.

Sanchez was proclaimed the winner of the gubernatorial race by the Batangas provincial board of canvassers last May 15.

The count showed Sanchez garnering a total of 305,631 votes, or a margin of 62,327 over Apacible’s 243,304.

However, Apacible is questioning the poll results in a total of 2,455 precincts constituting the seven localities.

These are 662 precincts in Batangas City, 574 in Lipa City, 422 in Tanauan City, 205 in Lemery, 256 in Sto. Tomas, 237 in Rosario, and 99 in Padre Garcia.

"That in all these precincts, fraud, irregularities, misreading and misappreciation were committed during the voting and appreciation of ballots cast by voters, so that a large number of ballots, sufficient to overhaul the presumptive lead of protester (Sanchez), legally cast for protestant were not credited as her valid votes," Apacible’s petition of protest stated.

Apacible, through her lawyer, Arnold Bayobay, urged the Comelec to order the treasurers of the cities of Batangas, Lipa and Tanauan and those of Sto. Tomas, Rosario, Padre Garcia and Lemery towns to immediately and completely secure all the contested ballot boxes and poll documents in their custody.

In a separate motion, Apacible’s lawyers Joel Ferrer and Rommel Frias also sought the transfer and transport of the ballot boxes to the Comelec’s Electoral Contest and Adjudication Department.