Lifting of PET protection order on books of voters in Danao sought

CEBU, Philippines - The Commission on Elections in Cebu is asking its Manila office to make representation with the Presidential Electoral Tribunal to lift the protection order on the books of voters in Danao City.

Provincial election supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano said they need the 2010 books of voters in Danao City for the verification of the signatures in the recall petition filed by Danao City Vice Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano III against his brother, Mayor Ramon “Boy” Durano, Jr.

However, the books of voters are covered with a protection order from the PET because of the pending election protest filed by defeated vice presidential candidate Mar Roxas against Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Castillano said they need the books in the verification of the signatures but they could not use it until the protection order is lifted. Castillano said they have already asked the Comelec Manila to make the necessary representation with the PET to allow them to use the book of voters covered by the protection order.

 “To verify the signatures, kato man nga book of voters used last elections, di man mi kahilabot ato, mangayo mi permiso sa PET,” Castillano said.

The office of the deputy executive director for operations of Comelec Manila will do the request, said Castillano. As soon as they got the permission, the Comelec is only given nine days to verify the signatures.

Castillano said he is hopeful the request shall be granted because of the precedence where PET granted in the recall election in Samar Province. The Comelec already denied the motion for reconsideration filed by Mayor Durano after he failed to appear during the hearing in Manila last month.

Mayor Durano was supposed to ask Comelec to reconsider the resolution finding the recall petition filed by Vice Mayor Durano against him as sufficient in substance.

In July last year, Nito filed before the Comelec a petition for recall elections signed by 31,000 voters against his eldest brother, Boy.

Month after, Boy also filed the petition for recall against Nito and City Councilors Cynthia Duterte, Carmen Remedio Meca, Alejandro Lawas, Jose Thaddeus Roble, Jorge John Cane, Marilou Camaongay-Flores, Roland Reyes, Jovelina Enriquez and Miguel Magpale for loss of confidence.

But Boy’s petition was declared by Comelec en banc as insufficient. (FREEMAN)