MANILA, Philippines – The camp of former Manila mayor Alfredo Lim will file an election protest with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to nullify the proclamation of Mayor Joseph Estrada as the winner in the mayoral race.
Lim’s lawyer, Renato de la Cruz, said they would file a petition with the Comelec tomorrow questioning the election results.
De la Cruz said they want to compare the results in the election returns with the SD (Secure Digital) cards used in the vote counting machines.
“The poll results were not reflective of the true sentiments of the people of Manila. We believe the election was manipulated to favor a certain candidate,” De La Cruz told The STAR.
He said they are seeking nullification of the premature proclamation of Estrada by the Comelec.
Lim’s camp wants a recount of votes to contest the results of the polls.
Supporters of Lim launched yesterday a fundraiser dubbed “Piso kada boto” to help finance the vote recount.
Mhalo Laderas, one of the supporters of Lim, claimed that the former mayor had 325,178 votes against Estrada’s 162,677 votes at around 7 p.m. on May 9.
Laderas claimed that Lim’s lead of over 160,00 votes went down and Estrada’s numbers increased as the votes were being tallied at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
Erap to Lim: Just retire
After being elected for another three-year term, Estrada advised Lim to retire from politics.
Estrada made the statement after Lim’s camp announced that they would file a poll protest.
“He should just retire considering his age,” Estrada said.
Lim served as Manila mayor from 1992 to 1998 and from 2007 to 2013.
The city board of canvassers on Tuesday proclaimed Estrada as the elected mayor after winning by a slim margin over Lim.
Estrada received 283,149 votes against Lim’s 280,464 votes.
The mayor admitted he was a bit surprised by his win. He believes that most of the votes against him came from those who were affected by the rise in real property taxes in the city.
Another mayoral candidate, Rep. Amado Bagatsing, garnered 167,829 votes. He conceded to Estrada.
Lim and Estrada have been at odds over various issues such as the handling of the August 2010 Manila hostage crisis and the construction of the Torre de Manila.
“The residents of Manila have spoken. They elected me to lead the city for another three years,” Estrada said.
The mayor assured Manilenos that he would continue his programs on peace and order and help uplift the lives of the poor.