Coin toss winner in mayoral race faces poll protest

BOCAUE, Bulacan, Philippines – An election protest has been filed against the newly elected mayor of this town, who was proclaimed winner after a coin toss.

Jim Valerio filed the protest against Joni Villanueva before the Malolos Regional Trial Court on Thursday. Valerio filed a separate petition with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on May 16  to void the coin toss and the proclamation of Villanueva.

Valerio and Villanueva both got exactly 16,694 votes on May 9.

Under a resolution issued on May 10 by Deogracias Danao, chairman of the municipal board of canvassers of Bocaue, a drawing of lots and not a coin toss would be held as a tie-breaker, Valerio said. 

He added that he did not issue a special power of attorney to any of his supporters during the coin toss.

Valerio’s counsel Ildebrando Viernesto said his client is also contesting the result of the election, claiming fraud during the voting and counting of votes, particularly in clustered precincts where Villanueva garnered a big number of votes.

Viernesto said the revision of the clustered precincts in the town from 84 to 37 was questionable.

Villanueva is the sister of outgoing Bocaue Mayor Jonjon Villanueva and newly proclaimed senator Joel Villanueva.

Vote buying

 In Laguna, an election protest was filed against newly elected Cabuyao City Mayor Rommel Gecolea.

 Losing Liberal Party bet Julio Alcasabas sought the nullification of Gecolea’s proclamation, citing massive vote buying.

In an 11-page petition, Alcasabas asked the Comelec to conduct a recount of votes in seven precincts.

 He said several vote counting machines bogged downwhile some VCMs did not issue receipts.

Gecolea, the incumbent vice mayor of Cabuyao, was proclaimed mayor after garnering 43,707 votes. – With Mayen Jaymalin