Prov. Comelec starts verifying signatures in Danao recall move

VERIFICATION of the signatures for the recall petition against Danao City Mayor Ramon “Boy” Durano Jr.  began yesterday with objections from his camp.

Provincial Commission on Elections (Comelec) Supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano told CEBU DAILY NEWS that Mayor Durano’s camp objected that some of the signatures were “forged” during the verification.

He said the mayor’s objection was noted and would be ruled on the last day of the verification.

Comelec Deputy Executive Director for Operations Bartolome Sinocruz Jr. ordered Comelec Danao City to start its verification process nine days after it received the resolution from the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.

The PET resolution dated Jan. 17, 2012, approved the request of Comelec Danao to use the Book of Voters or List of Voters with Voting Records during the verification process.

Castillano said a permission from PET was needed since it mandated that the voters list and the voting records should be preserved in the entire country because of a pending election protest of now Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) Secretary Mar Roxas against Vice President Jejomar Binay.

As of yesterday, Castillano said only signatures of  eight out of the 42 barangays were verified.

Castillano said the verification process would end on Feb. 23 since Feb. 22 is a Sunday.

He said after this, Danao City election officer  Dominic Ian Marigomen would make a report to the Office of Sinocruz Jr., who would in turn submit the report to the Comelec en banc. /Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus