Results didn’t reflect BO-PK survey — Young
If you ask Rep. Tomas Osmeña, he expected at least a 14% victory margin in the May 13 election based on an in-house survey done before the May 13 elections.
He said the private survey in barangays placed him and Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young winning decisively over Mayor Michael Rama and running mate Edgar Labella.
So why the surprising loss in last Monday’s polls?
Young has his own theory of how they lost.
He said Rama’s decision last year to increase the city’s financial assistance to teachers from P5,000 to P10,000 may have influenced the conduct of the election.
With the release of the increased assistance on December 2012 “murag napalit na daan ang mga teachers (The teachers have been bought).”
“Wala nay sanctity ang ballots (There is no more sanctity of the ballots). I am convinced that there was connivance with some teachers and BEIs (Board of Election Inspectors). I have a high regard for the teachers and I don’t want to drag them but it causes doubt,” Young said.
Young said this couuld explain the difference in outcome from the surveys initiated by the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) and an independent one done by the University of San Carlos.
Young said both showed Osmeña and Young’s leading over Rama and Labella.
“Survey result is what is the reality. If somebody does something it won’t come out as reflected in the surveys,” he said.
Young said manipulation of the voting process was present in almost all the 80 barangays.
He said this occured in barangay Lahug and and is being studied by the BO-PK legal team.
He also alleged that barangay officials in Apas intervened in the voting process in some of the precincts in their barangay.
Osmeña said he was aware of talk that some businessmen raised funds to make sure that he lost the election.
“We cannot really please everybody,” he said.
Young said some businessmen want to see Osmeña out of City Hall because Rama “is easier to manipulate” and some could have been blinded by Rama’s offer of tax benefits.
