Recanvass of vice mayoral votes in NV town ordered

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has ordered its provincial office here to immediately effect its earlier resolution for a recount of votes in this capital town’s vice mayoral race.

Meanwhile, the Comelec is expected to complete today its recount of votes cast in the Nueva Vizcaya gubernatorial race contested by proclaimed Gov. Luisa Lloren-Cuaresma (LDP-independent) and former board member Leonardo Perez Jr. (NPC).

In its Aug. 6 memorandum, the poll body nullified the proclamation of Bayombong Vice Mayor Pantaleon Antonio (Lakas-CMD) and ordered the first municipal councilor to take over his post in an acting capacity, pending the results of the recount.

"The petition to annul the proclamation of the respondent (Antonio) as vice mayor is hereby granted and that (his) proclamation is hereby declared null and void," the resolution of the Comelec’s first division stated.

As a result, first councilor Alan Barnacha took his oath of office before Mayor John Bagasao yesterday, unseating Antonio whose proclamation was questioned by his closest rival, Precy Ong-Marcos of the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino.

The Comelec ordered the municipal election officer to reconstitute the municipal board of canvassers "to conduct a speedy recanvassing of the election returns involving five precincts."

Ong-Marcos, a scion of a wealthy Chinese-Filipino family here, claimed that she could have won the vice mayoral race had the votes cast for her been properly counted.

In her petition, Ong-Marcos, whose husband, lawyer Percival Marcos, won a seat in the 13-man provincial board in the last elections, sought a recanvassing of votes in five precincts and the nullification of Antonio’s proclamation as vice mayor.

In the official count of the municipal board of canvassers, Antonio obtained 6,742 votes against Marcos’ 6,727, or a difference of only 15 votes.

Human rights lawyer Ernesto Salunat, Antonio’s legal counsel, said they welcome the Comelec’s move, saying his client will still remain victorious.

Salunat, also a Lakas-CMD stalwart here, questioned Barnacha’s oathtaking as acting vice mayor, describing it as "extremely ridiculous" since the councilor would only assume the position in an acting capacity.

Meanwhile, partial results of the ongoing Comelec recount of votes in the gubernatorial race show Cuaresma still leads Perez, who claimed that he was cheated of victory in the May 10 elections.

Cuaresma is still leading by more than 2,000 votes over Perez with almost all the votes in contested precincts in the towns of Bambang, Dupax del Sur, Dupax del Norte and Kasibu already revalidated by the poll body’s committee on recount.

The Cuaresma camp said they are expecting the recount to be completed today.

In the complete and official count of the provincial board of canvassers, Cuaresma obtained 57,008 votes against Perez’s 53,227.