Koko Pimentel to file poll protest on Monday

Genuine Opposition senatorial candidate Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III will file on Monday his protest before the Senate Electoral Tribunal against Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, who was proclaimed winner of the 12th and last contested Senate seat in the May elections. Pimentel’s father, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Nene" Pimentel Jr., said Sunday they expect the SET would decide on the issue be finished within six months because it would only concern the controversial votes from Maguindanao. "I don't think this is going to be a prolonged inquiry because it will focus mainly on what happened in Maguindanao," the Senate minority leader said. "Maguindanao is the focus of Koko's electoral protest and we hope that would be settled in six months," he added. The younger Pimentel, who ended ranked 13th, led Zubiri through much of the counting but his lead was wiped out when votes from Maguindanao, where the administration posted a controversial 12-0 sweep, were canvassed. The elder Pimentel noted that Zubiri’s lead over his son was whittled down further following special elections in Pantar town in Lanao del Norte last July 23. In special elections in 38 precincts in Pantar, the younger Pimentel got 2,435 votes against Zubiri's 936. The Senate minority leader alleged that there were attempts to tamper with the poll results in the town. "When the votes were about to be canvassed at Camp Tipanoy, Iligan City, the municipal board of canvassers stopped the canvassing allegedly because there were no national tally sheets. Consequently, the canvassing was delayed by five hours," the elder Pimentel said. The Senate minority leader noted that controversial Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol claimed the municipal certificates of canvass had been stolen. The elder Pimentel noted that in the original Maguindanao certificate of canvass that Bedol submitted to the National Board of Canvassers, it was Team Unity bet Luis “Chavit" Singson who emerged on top with 196,000. He noted that after Singson conceded defeat, Zubiri came out as number one with 195,000 votes – equivalent to 97 percent of votes. The senator pointed out that even in Zubiri's home province of Bukidnon, he got only 69 percent of votes. "Even Senators Loren Legarda and Francis Escudero, who were consistent first or second placers had a conversion rate of only 60 percent in places where they topped to senatorial election," the elder Pimentel said. -GMANews.TV