Defeated Iloilo bet questions ‘electronic fraud’

STA. BARBARA, Iloilo – Defeated reelectionist Iloilo Representative Augusto “Boboy” Syjuco Jr. questioned the results of the May 13 elections, decrying widespread glitches in the precinct count optical scanners (PCOS).

“We were prepared for all scenarios in the elections but not for massive electronic fraud,” Syjuco told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in an interview.

He claimed there were “statistical improbabilities” in the election results in his district.

Syjuco, who is facing corruption charges and has a hold-departure-order against him, vowed to file a protest with the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal and push for the examination of CF cards and PCOS machines to determine if their integrity was compromised.

Syjuco, who ran under the United Nationalist Alliance for a second term, finished third to Pavia Mayor Arcadio Gorriceta of the ruling Liberal Party (LP) and I-Care Partylist Representative Salvador Cabuluna III, who ran as an independent candidate.

Gorriceta was proclaimed congressman-elect on May 16 with 56,846 votes, a lead of about 10,000 votes over Cabuluna’s 46,140. Syjuco had only 31,818 votes.

Syjuco said he expected to win by 20,000 votes even after his camp factored in the all-out support of President Aquino for Gorriceta.

He said he historically won by large margins over his opponent in his district, including a margin of 8,869 votes in 1998, 25,094 in 2001 and 36,185 in 2010.

“How can I possibly lose in Sta. Barbara?” Syjuco said referring to his baliwick where he was trailed Gorriceta by around 1,000 votes.

He said in a precinct where 24 of his supporters had voted, only 12 votes were recorded in his favor.

The second district is composed of the towns of Alimodian, Leganes, Leon, New Lucena, Pavia, San Miguel, Sta. Barbara and Zarraga.

Gorriceta, for his part, credited the support of President Benigno Aquino III and his sisters Kris Aquino and Ballsy Aquino-Cruz for his victory in the polls.

Aquino visited Iloilo’s second district twice during the campaign,  particularly the towns of Pavia on Feb. 21 and Sta. Barbara  on April 10.

“P-Noy [Aquino’s monicker] has visited here twice. The Aquino sisters did not just endorse me, but also joined me in visiting villages. It’s a big factor during my campaign,” he said.

Gorriceta said the voters in the district had also “matured”  and were now focused on issues rather than personalities.

In Guimaras, Governor Felipe Nava  also questioned the results of the elections, alleging fraud and vote-buying. He also raised concern about the malfunctioning of PCOS machines.

Nava, who ran for reelection under the UNA, lost to Buenavista Mayor Samuel Gumarin of the LP.  Gumarin had 40,859 votes against Nava’s 36,068  while independent candidate Edgardo Junco got 710 votes.