Comelec en banc takes over Manila poll protest

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc has taken jurisdiction of the election protest filed by former Environment Secretary Lito Atienza against the proclaimed winner in last year’s mayoral race in Manila, Alfredo Lim.

The poll body’s First Division the other week dismissed Atienza’s protest after the results of a ballot recount from 200 of the city’s clustered precincts showed Lim in the lead.

There were 1,441 clustered precincts in Manila in the 2010 elections.

Atienza, however, filed a 10-page motion for reconsideration on September 16 in which he assailed the Comelec ruling and insisted that the ballots from the remaining precincts be also subjected to a manual recount due to “glaring errors” committed by the First Division.

He also asked the Comelec en banc to order the First Division to proceed with the revision and recount of the 874,700 ballots from the remaining 1,221 precincts.

In an order released on Friday, the First Division chaired by Commissioner Rene Sarmiento ordered that Atienza’s motion for reconsideration be “elevated and certified to the Comelec en banc for its proper consideration.”

Atienza, through his lawyer, Romulo Macalintal also expressed confidence that his election protest would be “properly evaluated by the Comelec en banc” and eventually decided in his favor.