Comelec ruling on N. Cotabato gov’s poll case contested
COTABATO CITY—Former North Cotabato Gov. Emmanuel Piñol said his lawyers are preparing a motion to contest the decision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that upheld the election of Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza.
Piñol lost to Mendoza in the 2010 elections but he filed an election protest, claiming irregularities during the balloting.
On June 7, the Comelec’s First Division said Piñol’s protest lacked merit.
In a 14-page order signed by Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, the Comelec said Piñol failed to establish the merit of his election protest even if he presented evidence of alleged irregularities.
“We find no more need to proceed with the recount,” the order said.
Piñol said the Comelec based its decision solely on the ballots that were recounted and “ignored proofs of computer irregularities and even the anomalous thumb marks in many precincts.”
The Comelec, in its order, also said there were no irregularities in the counting and transmission of the election results, contrary to Piñol’s claim that there was massive cheating, electronic fraud, vote-padding, vote-buying and harassment of voters.
Mendoza said the dismissal of Piñol’s protest reflected the true will of the electorate.
Mendoza got 236,966 votes against Piñol’s 199,332 votes in the May 2010 elections.
Piñol said he was pursuing his protest because he wanted the truth to come out.
“This is about knowing the truth, this is no longer about me, the candidate,” he said.
Piñol said one mystery that he would like to be answered was how election results from the South American country Colombia found their way to Pikit, North Cotabato. Edwin Fernandez and Carlo Agamon, Inquirer Mindanao
