Ex-village chief believes there was fraud in BSKE

By Felipe V Celino

ROXAS CITY, Capiz – A former punong barangay claimed fraud in the recent Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections(BSKE) in Brgy. Libas here.

Former Libas Barangay Captain Richard Arrojado said the number of actual voters that cast their votes did not tally with the registered voters in a certain precinct.

Arrojado said that based on the statement of votes in a precinct, there were 3,794 registered voters (RV) with 3,862 who actually voted while 714 did not.

“Ang daku nga palamangkutanon, kun nga-a mas madamo ang numero sang mga nakaboto kumparar sa nakaparehistro,” he said.

(The big question is why the number of actual voters outnumbered the registered voters?)

He believed that 95% of the teachers that served in the election in the barangay have knowledge on this.

Arrojado filed a Petition for Recount on November 10, 2023 but the Commission on Elections (Comelec) junked it.

The poll body said the petition was lodged beyond the 10-day reglementary period to file a recount complaint which started on October 30, the day the questioned returns were issued.

Arrojado stood pat that he has sufficient evidence to prove his claim because of the delay in the counting of votes wherein the winners were proclaimed on October 31.

He said he would file an appeal with the Comelec central office in Manila asking for a recount.

The result of the election indicated that Arrojado got 1,428 votes while his opponent Jobby Nalica garnered 1,443 votes or a margin of 15 votes.

Nalica was proclaimed winner by the Comelec-Roxas.