Comelec laughs off Mark Lapid's 'victory'

MANILA, Philippines - That’s entertainment.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday branded as “laughing matter” reports that the real winner in the 2007 Pampanga gubernatorial race was Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) general manager Mark Lapid.

Comelec Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer said he had a good laugh when he read the news report (not in The STAR) that Lapid obtained the highest vote in the gubernatorial elections.

“It is only for entertainment and something that should not be taken seriously. It makes me laugh really,” he said.

Apparently, Ferrer said, those who are claiming that Lapid won in the elections applied elementary mathematics in counting the votes.

“They seem to have applied Grade 1 addition and subtraction of votes, but we don’t decide protest action that way. It’s a matter of looking into each and every ballot,” he said.

Citing the recount conducted by the Comelec Second Division as basis, the report said former board member Lilia Pineda obtained a total of 190,729 votes as against Gov. Eddie Panlilio’s 188,718.

Lapid, who placed third in the 2007 gubernatorial elections, obtained 210,875 votes.

However, Comelec provincial supervisor Temie Lambino said only the votes of Panlilio and Pineda were revised. The poll body declared Pineda winner after the revision.

Ferrer said the Comelec did not include the votes for Lapid in their recount because he was not a party to any electoral protest filed before the agency.

“They should have filed a case so we could have looked into each and every ballot and credit those that are rightfully in his favor,” he said.