Zubiri: Koko Pimentel has long way to go with poll protest
By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 09:09:00 01/14/2008
Filed Under: Politics, Elections, Protest
MANILA, Philippines -- Even though the ballot boxes from SuLtan Kudarat were found to be empty, losing senatorial candidate Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III still has a long way to go in his electoral protest, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri said Sunday.
Zubiri, whose 12th-place victory in last year’s senatorial election is being contested by Pimentel, said he was certain of serving the entire six years of his term despite what he termed the “mind-conditioning” by his rival in the ongoing recount of votes being conducted by the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET).
Zubiri was reacting to Pimentel’s claim that the empty ballot boxes from Sultan Kudarat province negated Zubiri’s 31,000-vote margin in the area, giving Pimentel a 12,000-vote lead over Zubiri in the national tally.
But Zubiri, in an interview over radio dzBB radio Sunday, said it was too early to say whether or not the results from Sultan Kudarat should be voided, considering that the Commission on Elections could use the precinct election results (ERs) or municipal statements of votes (SOVs) as reference to reconstruct the missing ballots.
“The SET is not blind to the other evidence, they will vote in our favor,” Zubiri said.
At the same time, Zubiri said he was intent on pursuing a recount of the votes in Metro Manila, where he claimed he and his fellow administration candidates were cheated at the precinct level to favor opposition candidates like Pimentel. The move will delay Pimentel’s bid to take over Zubiri’s seat in the Senate before 2013, when the latter’s six-year term expires.
“This fight still has a long way to go. My lawyers intend to protest the election results in Metro Manila and we will demand a recount of the votes there. We should not jump to conclusions just yet,” said Zubiri.
“We really can’t do anything about Koko if he wants to talk. But what they are doing is mind-conditioning that I have already lost,” said Zubiri, who cautioned Pimentel’s lawyers about being cited in contempt for commenting on the ongoing case.
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