Sulu gov on recall: A desperate move

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan described the recall petition against him as politically motivated and a desperate move by his rivals.

This, as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) uncovered thousands of spurious names among the signatories to the recall petition against Tan.

The Comelec though approved last week the recall petition based on the recommendation of Bartolome Sinocruz Jr., the poll body’s deputy executive director for operations, that it be certified for being sufficient.

Reports from the office of lawyer Vidzfar Julie, Comelec deputy director in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said 6,800 of the 62,631 signatories from Sulu’s 19 towns were found to be fictitious.

Tan’s camp said Julie gave assurance that they would carefully verify the signatures in the recall petition.

Tan is reportedly determining the people who financed the recall move, saying one of its proponents was able to hire the services of Manila-based lawyers.