Asistios contest Comelec in Supreme Court

The Caloocan City electoral hullabaloo is not yet over despite the Commission on Elections (Comelec) decision junking the petition to declare a failure of elections in the city filed by the Assistio camp.

Allan Encarnacion, public relations officer of OIC Mayor Rey Malonzo’s political rival, Luis "Baby" Asistio, said that they would file today a motion before the Supreme Court contesting the Comelec’s pronouncement dismissing their petition.

"We are expecting such a decision and we will contest it in the Supreme Court," Encarnacion said. "We knew from the start that the Comelec would succumb to Malacanang’s pressure."

The Comelec en banc voted four-three over the weekend in favor of dismissing the petition for a failure of elections in Caloocan last May 14 and 15. This also paved the way for the proclamation of Malonzo and the other candidates who won in the last elections whose proclamation was ordered stopped by the poll body pending resolution of the Asistios’ petition.

Commissioner Luzviminda Tancangco, tasked to pen a decision on Caloocan’s election controversy, created a stir in Malonzo’s camp when she untimely announced her verdict of a failure of elections in the city which was reportedly concurred in by two other commissioners.

Comelec Chairman Alfredo Benipayo and Commissioners Mehol Sadain, Florentino Tuason and Resurreccion Borra, however, all dissented.

The Asistio camp claimed that the city’s elections were marred by massive fraud resulting in the disenfranchisement of thousands of voters. They blamed Malonzo for the mess. Benipayo, however, said "records show that all the precincts completely functioned and successfully conducted elections in the first and second districts of Caloocan City."

Commenting on the Assistio camp’s comment, Malonzo said,"If there was pressure from Malacañang, then this political controversy has long been resolved. I think it’s illogical of them to say that."

"The Caloocan people’s mandate is now clear and I believe that the Supreme Court would also listen to them," Malonzo concluded. – with Nikko Dizon