Reyes proclamation in Marinduque questioned

BOAC, Marinduque—The regional head of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) will assume supervision over the canvassing of votes in Marinduque amid the controversial proclamation of the province’s governor, vice governor and lone district congressional representative on Wednesday.

The most controversial candidate, Regina Ongsiako Reyes, has been disqualified by the Comelec en banc.

Danny Gapasin, counsel for Representative Lord Allan Jay Velasco, said Regina’s proclamation was “highly irregular and null and void from the very beginning.”

He said the number of votes from three towns—Gasan, Buenavista and Torrijos— that had not been canvassed accounted for almost 40 percent of the total number of votes in the province. Marinduque has 129,954 registered voters.

Manny Ignacio, assistant election director in Mimaropa, said by phone on Friday that he was taking over the supervision of the canvassing of votes in Marinduque.

Allegations of irregularities in canvassing in Marinduque cropped up when the provincial board of canvassers (PBOC), chaired by provincial election supervisor Edwin Villa, proclaimed as winners reelectionist Gov. Carmencita Reyes, her running mate Romulo Bacorro as vice governor, and Regina, Carmencita’s daughter, as Marinduque representative even though election returns from three of the six towns of the province had not been counted.

The PBOC also did not release a final tally of votes when it proclaimed the three candidates, all belonging to the ruling Liberal Party.

The PBOC also ignored the resolution of the Comelec en banc that disqualified Regina. The board also adjourned, not suspended, the canvassing without counting votes for provincial board members and senators.

In March, the Comelec first division ordered Regina’s name dropped from the list of candidates for being an American citizen and false statements she made in her certificate of candidacy.