Comelec gets 1st poll protest; it’s from a losing bet in San Fernando City

San Fernando City, Pampanga mayoral candidate Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab (Photo from her Facebook page)

MANILA, Philippines — San Fernando City, Pampanga mayoral candidate Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab has called for a manual recount of votes due to alleged election irregularities in her city.

Cayabyab, through her legal counsel Atty. Josep Miranda, filed an election protest on Thursday.

This is the first election protest filed before the main office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Intramuros, Manila.

READ: Caluag independent team defeats Pineda slate in Pampanga capital

Miranda said Cayabyab’s camp believes the election results do not accurately reflect the votes of the residents.

“First of all, we did not even garner a single precinct. Not even one. Our candidate did not win [in any precinct] so that is highly improbable,” he said when asked what evidence they have.

Cayabyab’s counsel wondered why that despite the “vigorous campaign” his client mounted and the “political machinery” the candidate has, the result “is not reflective of the will of our fellow Fernandinos.”

“It is really possible that there had been some actions perpetrated by individuals to really hijack the results of the elections,” the lawyer suspected.

Miranda also claimed that they have around 13,000 affidavits of voters who said that there was a presence of pre-shaded ballots and those who reported that they got different results from the votes they cast.

Atty. Josep Miranda, legal counsel of San Fernando City, Pampanga mayoral candidate Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab, claims that they submitted on Thursday around 13,000 affidavits of voters on alleged election irregularities. Seen are boxes brought to the Comelec Headquarters in Manila by Cayabyab’s camp. (Photo by DIANNE SAMPANG / INQUIRER.net)

When asked if the voters reported their concerns to the electoral board members on the spot, Miranda said that voters had raised their concerns.

“They complained but the electoral board’s standard reply was to wait because there was a surge in the number of voters,” the lawyer said.

“They waited but because the waiting time was too long, they eventually went home. But for those who stayed and still waited, they were told [later on] that there was no more time,” Miranda told reporters.

READ: Bong Pineda’s daughter files COC for San Fernando mayor

Cayabyab was defeated by incumbent mayor Vilma Caluag.

Based on the official and final results, Caluag garnered 127,124 votes while Cayabyab got 49,061 votes.

The Comelec proclaimed Caluag and her entire slate as winners on May 13.

Cayabyab is the daughter of Pampanga Vice Governor Lilia Pineda and the sister of Governor Dennis Pineda.

Meanwhile, Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Thursday said the poll body welcomes the filing of the election protests.

“In all protests, all kinds of accusations and allegations should be included,” Garcia said.

“Even if it is called a shotgun approach, it should be supported with even just an affidavit because otherwise, it will be a general allegation – which is a ground to dismiss,” he advised losing candidates.