MP congressional candidate files election protest

BONTOC, Mountain Province (May 25) — Congressional candidate Arnulfo S. Pilando of this province files a petition to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) against the Provincial Board of Canvassers (PBC) for alteration of almost 2,000 votes he garnered from one municipality here.

Pilando’s petition showed that he acquired 5,165 votes against Victor Dominguez 2,641 votes in the municipality of Paracelis based on the Municipal Board Certificate of Canvass (COC) but when the Provincial Board of Canvassers canvassed the said COCs, Pilando votes was reduced from 5,165 votes to 3,537 votes.

Nordis learned that the PBC canvassed the CoC from Paracelis without notifying Pilando or his representative/s of the date, time and place of the canvassing. Pilando ran under the Liberal Party.

In the canvassing of votes made from 1:00 A.M. to 2:30 A.M. of May 17, the petition alleges that one of the legal counsels of Victor Dominguez and the Provincial Board of Canvassers “committed a reversible error when it allowed the alteration of the Certificate of Canvass of Votes, as duly prepared by the Board of Canvassers of Paracelis, to the effect that the actual votes obtained by Pilando was reduced from 5,165 votes to 3,537.”

The reduction of votes was a violation of the Comelec Rules of Procedures since it was an oral manifestation made during the actual canvassing and their was no verified petition filed by Dominguez, added the petition.

“Even assuming that the Honorable Provincial Board of Canvassers had motu proprio corrected the alleged error, such correction is still illegal since it was made without due notice and hearing, in violation of the rights of the petitioner as a candidate and as representative of Partido Liberal,” reiterated the petition filed on May 22, or five days after Victor Dominguez was proclaimed by the PBC.

The legal counsel of Pilando reportedly requested the PBC a copy of a written ruling on his oral motion or a written order for the correction of votes in the COC but the PBC denied such motion.

The petition by Pilando was filed to order the PBC to correct the entry of the Statement of Votes and the corresponding COC to reflect the actual votes of Pilando from Paracelis as 5,165 votes not 3,537 and to change the grand total of votes of Pilando from 14,172 votes to 15,800.

The SOV by the PBC of this province showed that Victor Dominguez garnered 23,230 votes, Jupiter Dominguez, 17,621, Pilando 14,172, Sario Malinias 7,569, Efren Lingwa 200, Francisco Siblawan 49, and Carlito Afadchay 38.

From the 10 municipalities of this province, Pilando only won in the municipality of Paracelis; Victor Dominguez won in the municipalities of Bauko, Bontoc, Natonin, Barlig, Tadian, and, Sadanga; while Jupiter Dominguez won in the municipalities of Besao, Sabangan, and Sagada.

This province has a total 86,106 total registered voters with 65,609 (or 76 percent) who casted their votes.

The Mountain Province PBC is composed of the Provincial Election Supervisor as chairman, with the Provincial Prosecutor as vice-chair and the Provincial Auditor as member. # Arthur L. Allad-iw for NORDIS