fi wrorursonv, tuLY i.

7, 2o1e

Ex-VP Binay wants

to void'rival's win,
seeks poll recount
FORMER Vice President Jejomar Bi-
nay on Monday filed a protest against
Romulo Pefla Jr in connection with the
congressional race in Makati City in the
May 13 elections.
70-page electoral protest filed
In a
before the House of R€presentatives
Electoral Tribunal, Binay's lawyers
sought the nullifrcation of Pefla's proc-
lamation as a member of the House of
Representatives by the Makati City
Board of Canvassers on May 14.
The lawyers asked HRET to conduct

, Nert page

Ex-VP...
Frcm A7
a manual recount of the ballots cast and
other election documents in all of the 235
protested clustered Precincts.
"The Congressional contest was marred
bv various manifestations offtaud, anoma-
lies, inegularities and statistical improb-
abilities. Appoximately 9,050 votes werc
dis€nfranchised to b€ Null^4isread Votes,
the election protest says.
The lawvers also slammed the manY
votes allegedly intended for Binay
*"r" unu"iouot"d for as a result of ihe functioned dudng the elections.
frilure of several vote-counting machines
in many clustered precingts to transmit
actual election results.
of
Peia garnercd a total 71,035 votes
allegedly manipulated
asainst Binavt 65,229 votes, or a presump- when Pefla's camp
proceedings and were also spotted
tilve margin'of 5,806 votes. based on the precinct
while engaging in ramPant
Certificate of Canvass of Votes.
Considering the "slim margin" between vote-buying.
their vote counts, tlrc electoral Fotest said, Duringihe election campaign period and
up to thJelection day itself. Binay and his
tlle votes in contest were "crucially deter-
minative" of the true ReprescntatiYe of oartv had been receiving reporls ltom \ arl-
of Peia had been
Makati's fust district. 'As it is, the proc- ous sources that rhe team
was based on figures engaging in vote-buying practices in order
lamation of [Pefla]
olaeued bv mvsteries, the protest says. to get more \otes or to take away vores
' ihe electoral protest also assailed the al- from him.
leeed bilure of rhe Commission on Elec- The vote-buying perpetrated by Peiia's
group involved the payment ol P500 10
tiJns to provide the complete copies of the
certified true copies of Sratement of Votes F2,0b0 to voters for them to vote for lheir
candidate or anyone else but Binay. the pro-
that for 85 out ofthe t35 clustcred prccincts that
test said.
'
All these made it diffrcultto conclude that
The Drotest contested the election results qlsan' cred-
the in each of the 235 clu$ered precincts. cit- the May ll. 20lg elec1i6n51vs1q
ihle- honest and democralic, the protest sa)s'
ing several grounds.
Moreover, the protest cited instances Joei E. Zurbano and Maricel V. Cruz

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