By Annabel Consuelo Petinglay/Philippine News Agency
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique — The Commission on Election (Comelec) has ordered the protection of ballot boxes in 11 municipalities of Antique that are subject of the electoral protest of incumbent Congressman Paolo Everardo Javier, who ran for governor in the last May election.
Lawyer Wil S. Arceño, Antique acting provincial election supervisor, said in an interview Friday that he has ordered the protection of the ballot boxes after he received a letter from the Comelec Electoral Contests Adjudication Department Monday last week.
The letter was about the electoral protest filed by Javier against his lone rival, reelectionist Governor Rhodora J. Cadiao, who won during the last May 13 polls.
“The ballot boxes are right now in the custody of the municipal treasurers of the 11 towns,” he said.
Javier is contesting the election results in the 11 towns of Anini-y, Tobias Fornier, Hamtic, San Jose de Buenavista, Sibalom, San Remigio, Patnongon, Sebaste, Pandan, Caluya, and Tibiao.
He said that this is in preparation for the possible recount of votes if the Comelec Electoral Contests Adjudication Department would find merit on the election protest against Cadiao.
“As for the SD (Secure Digital) Cards, we have already submitted it to the Comelec in Manila,” he said.
In a separate interview, Cadiao said that she received a copy of the electoral protest filed by Javier last June 3.
“It is now water under the bridge,” she said.
She said that Javier only got 83,800 votes last election while she got 173,673.
“The number of votes I garnered far exceeded than his,” Cadiao said.
Cadiao, who will be serving her second term as governor, also denied that she engaged in massive vote-buying as alleged by Javier.
“How I wish that we can already move on and heal the wounds of politics,” Cadiao said.
She said she has set her mind to dedicating her time for the progress of the province.
“Let us work for unity and the good of the province,” Cadiao said.
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