Manual recount ordered in Vizcaya gubernatorial race

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has ordered a manual recount of votes cast during the 2013 gubernatorial race in this province.

The Comelec’s Second Division directed former vice governor Jose Gambito, who filed a poll protest case, to make additional cash deposit of P712,000 for the recount of the contested ballots covering 379 precincts here.

A local Comelec officer yesterday confirmed that the ballots were immediately taken to Manila after the poll body issued the order last Aug. 6.

The latest Comelec order was an offshoot of resolution issued on July 2 affirming Gambito’s election protest against Gov. Ruth Padilla.

Last year, Gambito asked the Comelec for a manual count of most of the ballots cast for the gubernatorial post during last year’s polls.

Gambito blamed the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines for his defeat.

In her motion, Padilla asked the poll body to dismiss the election protest against her, citing Gambito’s alleged failure to cite acts of omission showing fraud and anomalies during the elections.

The second division affirmed Gambito’s protest.

Based on the PCOS count, Padilla obtained 69,637 votes as against Gambito’s 50,482.

Gambito said a manual audit of the ballots would have him the overwhelming choice for governor, citing a poll exit survey showing him with 96,896 votes as against Padilla’s 54,846.