HRET affirms Rep.Espina 2010 poll win in Biliran

CEBU, Philippines - The House of Representative Electoral Tribunal (HRET) has affirmed on February 8 the victory of Biliran lone district Rep. Rogelio Espina against former congressman Glenn Chong in the 2010 elections.

The HRET decision was a “bittersweet” moment for Rep. Espina because two days before its official release, his father Gerardo “Gerry Sr” Espina passed away after a bout with pneumonia at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City.

The Espina patriarch was the incumbent mayor of Kawayan town and once a three-term congressman himself. His remains is now at the Arlington Chapels in Quezon City and the family has announced his interment would be on February 12 at the Loyola Memorial Heights Sucat in Parañaque City.

Agusan del Sur Rep. Franklin Bautista, the ponente of the HRET decision, said Chong, the lone rival of Rep. Espina, failed to prove there was poll fraud during the conduct of the May 2010 congressional elections.

The HRET voted 8-1 in favor of Espina who got 40,003 votes against Chong who got 39,646 votes or a slim lead of 357 votes only. “Clearly and positively, he (Chong) failed to prove fraud in the elections,” Bautista said.

Other HRET members who voted in favor of the decision were Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano Jr., Cagayan de Oro 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, Bulacan 3rd district Rep. Joselito Andrew Mendoza, Laguna Rep. Timmy Chipeco, Manila 4th district Rep. Maria Teresa Bonoan-David and Supreme Court Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta and Lucas Bersamin.

Only SC Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco made the solitary dissenting vote.

During the hearing, then Comelec provincial election supervisor Nick Mendros, who is now Comelec-8 regional director, and then Biliran Police provincial director Wilson Caubat testified that there was no cheating and fraud in the 2010 elections contrary to the claim of Chong.

This was proven by the lack of reported violence during the elections, and there were even no police blotter entries of any untoward incident in the entire province that day, Caubat testified.

Incumbent Biliran Governor Gerardo “Gerry Boy” Espina Jr., is the youngest brother of the victorious congressman. (FREEMAN)