Recount of protest vs. Sanchez set

CEBU, Philippines - The Commission on Elections Second Division is set to start on Monday the recount of 200 priority clustered precincts protested by vice gubernatorial candidate Glenn Anthony Soco against the late vice governor Gregorio Sanchez Jr.

In the absence of a lawyer to represent Sanchez, his daughter, Engr. Grecilda Zaballero, filed last Thursday her motion for leave to intervene before the Comelec in Manila.

Oliveros Kintanar used to represent Sanchez but his services were terminated by Zaballero at the height of the hearing of the administrative case filed by his father against Governor Gwendolyn Garcia before the Department of Interior and Local Government.

In a press conference yesterday, Zaballero expressed concern when she got reports that Garcia visited the Comelec during her recent trip to Manila.

“That’s a very timely visit to the Comelec apart from visiting in any other day. Timely kaayo ang iyang visit the Comelec will start recount on Monday,” Zaballero said.

Garcia confirmed she was in Manila and had a private meeting from her trip to Ilocos Norte but she said she never visited the Comelec office. Besides, she does not know where the office is.

“I can categorically state that for her to pick up such a statement and repeat it as gospel truth is a complete lie because I was never in Comelec premises,” Garcia told reporters.

Soco was the running mate of Garcia in the 2010 elections. 

Some speculations were raised that Garcia’s camp had a hand in the case so that Soco can assume office of the vice governor.

Upon the death of Sanchez, the Comelec directed Provincial Board member Agnes Magpale, who succeeded him as vice governor, to intervene in the instant protest, but Magpale opted not to do so.

“With the decision of Vice Governor Magpale to desist from the case and the termination of the legal services of Atty. Kintanar, there is no one to protect the interest of the people of Cebu who voted for Gregorio G. Sanchez Jr. as the Vice Governor of Cebu,” Zaballero said in her motion.

Zaballero said she has no interest in her father’s office, all she wants is to ensure that the will of the voters of the Province of Cebu, in so far as the position of the vice governor is concerned, is made known fair and square.

Zaballero will fly to Manila on Monday to observe the proceedings in the hope that the motion is granted by the Comelec so her father can be represented.

It can be recalled that Soco filed an election protest against Sanchez before the Comelec on grounds of massive fraud and immense irregularities in the conduct of the election.

Soco only got 517,687 votes to Sanchez’s 543,924 votes. (FREEMAN)