Radazas obtain witness against Pelaez

AFTER being charged with electioneering, the Radazas of Lapu-Lapu City have produced their own witness against their accuser.

Ronel Alibong, 24, of of barangay Tungasan, Olango island, Lapu-Lapu City, claimed that he was promised money by mayoral candidate Efrain Pelaez Jr. in exchange for fabricating evidence against Mayor Paz Radaza.

Pelaez last Friday filed an election protest against the mayor before the Commission on Elections (Comelec), citing harassment, questionable results and irregular conduct of elections as basis for his case.

Alibong claimed that he was promised a job by his uncle Hermogines Amit if he would go to the home of a certain Costavio Tradio in barangay Tungasan.

He said he overheard his uncle and Tradio saying “let’s have him (Alibong) for evidence” in Cebuano.

Alibong, who brought a sample ballot from Radaza’s Team Derecho, said he told Tradio that the Radazas didn’t promise him money.

Alibong said Tradio gave him P500 for him to tell the truth and noticed that someone was taking footage of him.

He said a P500 bill was stapled to his sample ballot but he gave it to his uncle for fear that he may be prosecuted.

Alibong executed an affidavit to support his case.

Pelaez denied the allegations, saying the Radazas are merely covering up their massive vote-buying spree.

He said his camp already have evidence to back his allegations against the Radazas.

In Tudela town, Camotes Island, local candidates under the One Cebu party filed an election protest in court against their political opponents who won in the last May 13 elections last Friday.

Named respondents in the case were Mayor-elect Erwin Yu, Vice Mayor-elect Greman “Jojo” Solante, and all eight winning councilors allied with the Barug Alang sa Kauswagan ug Demokrasya (Bakud) party.

The camp of losing mayoralty candidate Loret Maratas of One Cebu claimed that there were technical irregularities committed during the conduct of the elections.

Boboy Belarmino, who lost in the race for town councilor, said they want a recount of the votes in all the ballots in Tudela.

“The people are not satisfied with the results. This is the first time in the history of Tudela that all candidates in one political party won in the town,” he told Cebu Daily News over the phone.

Based on the Audit Log Reports, there were different serial numbers used in operating the Precinct Count Optical Scanner (PCOS) machines in Tudela.

“Our complaint is basically technical in general,” Belarmino said.

The election protest filed by Belarmino and his companions were filed before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Danao City.

The complainants include Maratas, losing vice mayoralty candidate Bebet Solante, and council candidates Otadoy Cyrus, Arnito Yamas, Belogolo Riel, Taniel Diocampo, Edwin Polancos, Nimfa Orge, Auxiliadora Uy, and Mary Ann Tapayan—all of One Cebu.

Belarmino said Yu won by a margin of over a thousand votes over Maratas in the race for town mayor of Tudela.

In the vice-mayoralty race, Greman won by about 900 votes against his relative Bebet. Correspondent Norman V. Mendoza and Ador Vincent Mayol