Outgoing Bacolod mayor considers contesting election result
BACOLOD Mayor Evelio R. Leonardia, who lost his reelection bid, is looking at contesting the May 9 outcome, which he called “mysterious and unbelievable” as several of his party mates also lost.
“For now, we will leave the matter with our legal team. It will be up to the lawyers to study and look into possible legal remedies so that we can have the vote counting machines rechecked to satisfy the questions raised by the GP (Grupo Progreso) slate and all our supporters,” Mr. Leonardia said in a statement released Wednesday.
The winning mayor, former Negros Occidental congressman and businessman Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” B. Benitez, was proclaimed Tuesday.
“Many of our Grupo Progreso supporters are still in shock over the results of the May 9 local elections in Bacolod City. They chorus that the results are ‘mysterious and unbelievable’,” the incumbent said.
He also cited “observations made by some quarters” on irregularities in the casting of votes, malfunctioning vote-counting machines, and other incidents reported by their poll watchers.
Mr. Benitez, who served three terms as Negros Occidental representative from 2010 to 2029, got 171,893 votes while Mr. Leonardia received 107,447, based on the final count.
The party’s candidate for vice mayor, reelectionist El Cid Montilla Familiaran, won against two rivals with 128,893 votes.
For the Sangguniang Panlungsod or city council, GP won four of the 12 seats. — MSJ
