Soco: I want to run again for Cebu vice governor in 2013

Businessman Glenn Anthony Soco yesterday said he wants to run again for Cebu vice governor in 2013 and that the dismissal of his election protest by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in his 2010 poll bid won’t deter him.

In a press conference, Soco said he will ask the Comelec to reconsider its decision.

“Assuming that the 2010 election results were accurate, there were more than half a million Cebuanos who voted me,” he said.

Soco said he already told his party One Cebu of his interest to seek election in tandem with Rep. Pablo John Garcia of Cebu’s 3rd district.

Soco was the runningmate of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia in 2010 but lost to Gregorio Sanchez Jr. of the Liberal Party ,who passed away last year.

One Cebu through Governor Garcia and her brother Pablo John already announced that the vice governor candidacy was “reserved” for Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale as the incumbent and a member of the Durano-led Bakud party which has an alliance with One Cebu.

But Soco said he was determined to run again.

He said Sen. Jinggoy Estrada called him up to invite him to join the Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) party of his father, former president Joseph Estrada. He said he was also invited by former senator Miguel Zubiri.

“I think there are no conflicts because Governor Gwen is running under the UNA (United Nationalist Alliance). I can’t see anything wrong unless they tell me it is wrong. The dynamics of political parties is still new to me,” Soco said.

Soco said he makes his decisions “one step at a time” including his 2013 political plans.

A copy of the Comelec second division’s ruling obtained by Cebu Daily News said Soco’s protest lacked merit based on the results of the recount of pilot clustered precincts.

The recount showed Sanchez garnered 543,924 votes with Soco getting 517,687 votes.

Even after revisiting 20 percent of the total ballots of the clustered precincts, the Comelec said Soco would only get a maximum 9,148 votes.

It said the number won’t be enough to overcome Sanchez’s 17,089 vote margin.

Reading from a prepared statement, Soco yesterday questioned the Comelec decision and said the poll body didn’t revisit the total ballots.

“The division failed to appreciate the nullified votes which total nearly 300,000. There were forcibly opened ballot boxes, missing Election Returns, no Minutes of Voting, no digital signatures from the Board of Election Supervisors,” he said.

He said the recount was done last August and it was only this month that the Comelec division was handed down.

Soco said he directed his lawyer to file a motion for reconsideration with the Comelec.