TUKURAN, ZAMBOSUR: After more than ten months since defeated mayoral candidate Nasser Mohammad Bandong filed his election protest, the decision is out: incumbent Mayor Bonifacio Vega Jr.’s election is upheld.
In the hotly contested mayoralty race in Tukuran, Bandong ran under the Liberal Party while Vega is from the Lakas party. A third candidate, Django Villamero ran under NPC-Kampi.
In a decision penned by Judge Aniceto Galon Jr. and dated April 25, 2008, it said that based from consolidated results after deducting the admitted objections and adding the claimed ballots as offered by both Vega and Bandong in their offer to evidence, there is a total of 140 votes in favor to the incumbent.
“Wherefore, after meticulously, painstakingly and judiciously taking into consideration all the evidence proffered by both the Protestant and the Protestee, the Court found that Bonifacio C. Vega Jr. has a remaining total votes of 5,227 votes, while Nasser Mohammad Bandong has 5,087 votes, thereby giving [Vega] a margin or lead of 140 votes over [Bandong], for which reason [Vega] is hereby declared as the duly elected mayor of Tukuran, Zamboanga del Sur.
Galon’s decision also ordered Bandong to pay Vega P75,000 as attorney’s fees and P25,000 as cost of litigation expenses.
Vega, in his statement to the press after the promulgation, said: “I am very happy that the protest I filed was finally decided and I would like to extend by thanks to Judge Galon for the early decision of the case.”
In a separate meeting with journalists in his residence, Bandong declared, “I would like to let the people know though the media that my intentions of filing the election protest is only to know if there are discrepancies during last May 2007 elections. I never said I was the winner.”
In its report dated May 30, MINDANAO MONITOR detailed the score between Vega and Bandong as it hanged in balance when canvassing was not able to continue for five days owing to the disappearance of election officer Diope Alvarez who chairs the municipal board of canvassers.
Alvarez was reported to have hid following threats on her life and pressures from unidentified individuals.
Only after another election officer, Delfo Galimit, was assigned did the canvassing continued and when completed, tallied the reelectionist mayor to be on the lead with 6,302 votes, Villamero with 5,072 and Bandong with 5,037.
“I was not contented with the results of the elections because of some reported anomalies and discrepancies that we have heard, that is why I filed an election protest in order to know what is really happened during the counting,” Bandong recalls.
“As far as my protest is concerned, the results was confirmed that there were discrepancies because the votes of Mayor Vega was reduced by 1,075 and my votes was padded with 50 or at least Vega led only by 140 votes and not 1,265 as what he earlier claimed,” he added.
In another issue of this paper dated June 6, Bandong bannered his protest with the words “I want the truth,” citing alleged rampant anomalies in the counting of votes.
“I only want the truth. I can accept my defeat if it really is certain,” he said then.
Bandong also questioned the order of the Comelec replacing Alvarez after she disappeared saying one of the possibilities for her abandonment was that “she was made to disappear by people who want to win” or “she wants to escape the consequences of doing something wrong.”
At present, Bandong adds he is filing a case against those teachers involved in the anomalies during last May’s election.
“You are teachers, you should set as an example in doing well and since some of you connived in cheating, I will teach you a lesson that is why I am planning to file a case against you,” he said.
As to Galon’s decision, he said: “This is only a point of clarification, I respect the judge’s decision and I am just asking this question to him: were there discrepancies in last year’s election in Tukuran based on the evidence gathered? And if proven, what and who will be punished?”
Galon has since refused to comment.
As of now, Bandong said he is leaving the matter to his lawyers. “There isn’t any law prohibiting me to run again as a mayor in Tukuran. If so, yes will run again this 2010 election,” he jokes.
NEWS BY JONG CADION, WRITTEN FOR MINDANAO MONITOR