Comelec proclaims Biñan town execs

Biñan town in Laguna province has a new set of local officials, led by mayor-elect Marlyn "Lenlen" Alonte, the incumbent vice mayor, and vice-mayor elect Walfredo Dimaguila Jr., an incumbent councilor. Alonte, a Genuine Opposition bet, was reportedly ahead by more 7,000 votes over her closest rival, Francisco "Cookie" Yatco, a Team Unity bet. Dimaguila, a lawyer who passed the bar in 1999, was the topnotcher in the council race in the 2004 elections. The proclamation, reported by GMA's Pia Arcangel over Tuesday evening's 24 Oras, came after almost a month of contentious delays in canvanssing. On May 17, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) stopped the canvassing shortly after Yatco filed a petition asking the election body to declare a failure of elections in the Southern Tagalog town. Yatco said the canvassing was slow because certain persons, whom he didn't identify, were committing fraudulent acts that led to voters being disenfranchised. But last Friday, the Comelec decided to junk Yatco's petition, saying in a resolution: "A mere instance of delay or extension of the hours of voting will not result in a failure of elections." The Board of Canvassers, the resolution said, was able to submit copies of 515 election returns out of the 517 precincts in Binan. Also, the statistical report from the office of the Comelec election officer showed that of the 106,038 registered voters, 69 percent, or 71,587, actually voted. And the figures were supported by the partial, unofficial report of the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel). The Comelec added that Yatco failed to identify which precincts did not conduct voting, so that they could not determine how many votes were not cast and if those votes would be enough to affect the results of the elections. The Comelec chief, Benjamin Abalos Jr., inhibited himself from the case because Yatco is his son-in-law, married to his youngest daughter Love Joy. The canvassers resumed their tally on Monday evening, finishing on Tuesday evening. They were slightly delayed, though, at one point, because someone accidentally put the copies of election returns for the Board of Canvassers in a ballot boxes which was then padlocked. They could not immediately find the keys, so canvassers decided to force the locks open. "I really am very greatful talaga," a teary-eyed Alonte told 24 Oras. "Una, sa Panginoon, kasi alam namin na talagang, sabi ko nga, may divine intervention talaga itong nangyari sa amin. Really a miracle." But in an interview aired over the same newscast, Yatco insisted that he should have been the one proclaimed, saying: "Hindi ako puwedeng mag-concede dahil ang nagko-concede lamang ay yung natalo. At ito pong halalang ito, the results are not reflective of the true will of the people." Alonte is set to be sworn into office on Saturday, June 30. - GMANews.TV