Defeated mayor mulls legal action on ‘mysterious, unbelievable’ results

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The camp of Mayor Evelio Leonardia, defeated standard bearer of Grupo Progreso (GP), is considering legal actions on the results of the May 9, 2022 elections here.

Leonardia made the announcement late Tuesday night, the day when his rival, former Negros Occidental congressman Alfredo “Albee” Benitez, was proclaimed by the City Board of Canvassers as the winner in the mayoralty race.

In a statement, Leonardia said many GP supporters are still in shock over the results.

Leonardia lost his reelection bid for a final 3-year term with only 107,447 votes against Benitez of Asenso Bacolod who garnered 171,893 votes, or a difference of 64,446 votes.

Leonardia said the difference was simply “mysterious and unbelievable,” especially in areas they considered as their bailiwicks.

Leonardia said the mammoth of crowd of red shirt-clad “tumandoks” (natives or actual residents) during their “miting de avance” on May 7 was a record-breaking feat, adding that the sorties and caucuses since the start of the campaign, whether held during the day or at night, were attended by huge enthusiastic crowds without resorting to “hakot.”

“For now, we will leave the matter with our legal team,” Leonardia said, adding that it will be up to their lawyers to study possible legal remedies so that they can have the vote counting machines rechecked to satisfy the questions raised by the GP slate and all their supporters.

Leonardia also took the opportunity to thank the scores of “Pulahans” who stayed with Grupo Progreso and supported his family particularly during challenging times.

“All your efforts did not go to waste. Your love and support are highly appreciated. You have been a source of inspiration and strength for me all these years,” Leonardia said.

Only five councilors from Leonardia’s slate won the elections – Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, Councilors Israel Salanga, Cindy Rojas, and Atty. Renecito Novero, and Em Ang, who’s making a comeback in the City Council.

Majority of the winning candidates came from Benitez’s slate, including reelectionist Congressman Greg Gasataya, and eight newly elected councilors Jude Thaddeus Sayson, Al Espino and Simple Distrito, Pao Sy, Celia Flor, Jason Villarosa, and Vladimir Gonzales.

Earlier, Atty. Revo Sorbito, city election officer, said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is open to complaints from any candidate who might be dissatisfied with the results.

Sorbito said that any candidate has the right to file a protest, provided they can prove their allegations.

EMPATHY

In a statement, Benitez’s spokesperson Atty. Bong Dilag said the former extends heartfelt empathy to Leonardia whom he described to be in “shock and awe” following his defeat.

“Such decisive and conclusive mayoralty election result, must have made him feel dizzy and defensively reduced and cornered in a state of denial,” Dilag said.

Dilag added that Benitez understands Leonardia’s pain after losing the polls.

“That is most often true among losing candidates where one wrestles and bears the wrenching pain and humiliation of rejection and repudiation by the very people one aspires to lead. Indeed, it is a bitter pill to swallow. This, we must patiently try to understand.”

But Dilag said they will not dignify Leonardia’s accusations of electoral fraud.

“We refuse to stoop down to the level of childish, if not gutter politics, nor do we intend to needlessly belabor the malicious, false, and baseless allegations raised by the incumbent mayor. The allegations are a stretch of imagination… and a comic that even an ordinary mind will consider as totally hogwash and, therefore, undeserving of serious consideration, time, and space.”

Dilag said Benitez successfully “presented his plans and programs according to his vision and set of values which have strongly resonated with the Bacolodnons who have long hoped for change.”

“The content of the subject letter of the incumbent mayor which essentially branded us, by way of implication, as cheaters and liars cheapens the voice, hope, and aspirations of Bacolodnons and their constitutionally protected right to select their leaders,” he added.

The lawyer said Team Asenso-Bacolod has decided to let the accusations pass “and leave it to the people to judge.”

“We respect the incumbent mayor’s democratic right to avail of whatever remedies the law may afford him as we similarly intend to vigorously raise our own issues in the proper forum.”

Dilag’s piece of advice to Leonardia:

“Mr. Mayor, you claim the results to be ‘mysterious and unbelievable.’ This is not a mystery. This is [the will of] Bacolod. You better start believing. Your wealth of experience can still benefit many of our people in Bacolod whom you profess to love. One hundred seventy-one thousand and eight hundred ninety-three Bacolodnons gave Mayor-elect Albee Benitez their vote of trust, confidence, and mandate. The voice of the people couldn’t be any clearer than that. The truth is painful, it hurts … in this case, 171,893 times.”