Labella: Comelec did not say Young won in 2013

CEBU, Philippines - Acting mayor Edgardo Labella has clarified that the Commission on Elections only ruled to proceed with the recount and did not declare his rival in the 2013 vice mayoralty race, Joy Augustus Young, as winner. 

Labella said he was informed by his lawyers that the Comelec only found basis to proceed with the recount despite Young withdrawing his protest on June 8, 2015.

“I am told that it is not about daog. It is about that they are going to proceed with the recounting because there is basis to proceed with the recounting. It is my lawyers who are taking care of that. I do not indulge myself to that,” Labella said.

It was reported that Comelec released an order finding the election protest filed by Young as “legitimate and meritorious.”

Comelec presiding commissioner Christian Robert Lim ordered to continue the election protest proceedings. Lim, in the order, said that Young garnered 238 votes against Labella who only got 59 votes in the review of ballots from the first 116 precincts.

On May 17, 2013, Labella was proclaimed by the City Board of Canvassers as the winning candidate and the duly-elected vice mayor of Cebu City with a total votes of 203,267 against Young’s 203,083 votes or a margin of 184 votes.

Young should recover at least 20 percent of the overall vote lead of Labella, which is 184 votes.

The required reasonable recovery would be 37 votes.

“This possible net effect change in the results of the votes amounting to an additional two hundred thirty-eight (+238) votes in favor of the Protestant (Young) goes beyond the thirty-seven (37) vote requirement for substantial recovery, and is even higher than the total one hundred eighty-four (184) total vote lead of the Protestee (Labella) over the Protestant (Young),” read the order.

But, Labella said his lawyers are handling the matter.

“And I do not bother myself with this election cases. Humana man na, then suddenly there came out a ruling that there is a basis to proceed with the recounting. I let my lawyers handle that problem. I have to focus on governance and I have to focus on as being the caretaker of the city,” Labella said, as he was told by the Department of the Interior and Local Government to assume as the acting mayor after Mayor Michael Rama was placed under preventive suspension.

Rama was suspended for 60 days, effective December 10, pending investigation into the administrative complaint filed by Labangon Barangay Captain Victor Buendia. Buendia sued Rama before the Office of the President after the latter ordered the demolition of the median structure along Katipunan Street.

Labella said he sees no need to bother himself with the recent development of the election protest. “I am very confident that we will prevail,” he said. — (FREEMAN)