Mindanews: Comelec nullifies proclamation of Cotabato mayor

Euphoria lasted only a few hours for a mayor-elect of a town in North Cotabato province, after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) nullified her proclamation on Friday the 13th. Online news site Mindanews reported Saturday that the Comelec sitting en banc nullified the July 13 dawn proclamation of Genalyn Mangudadatu of Tulunan town. The Comelec issued the nullification order when it reconvened at its main office in Intramuros, Manila at noon Friday. It also ordered the creation of a special municipal board of canvassers (MBOC) composed of election lawyers to do the re-canvassing. Comelec also ordered that the canvassers use as basis the second copies of the original election returns (ERs) presented to them by officials of two election watchdogs in Tulunan town. Mangudadatu emerged the winner over her strongest rival Lani Sarillo-Candolada in the recanvassing of votes in the town. Earlier, MBOC secretary Juanito Condes and member Jose Padilla decided to re-canvass ERs from 17 contested polling precincts in Tulunan despite vehement opposition from Candolada’s camp. MBOC chairman Dante Parreñas chose to inhibit from the canvassing. Genalyn’s husband, Buluan town vice mayor Toto Mangudadatu, made a public announcement through radio that his wife’s assumption to office “is even made convincing and realistic by the latest proclamation of the MBOC." He said Genalyn garnered 7,000 votes, about 2,000 more than what Candolada got, after the MBOC re-canvassed the election returns from the contested 17 polling precincts. The report irked Candolada’s supporters in Tulunan who vowed to return to the streets to prevent Mangudadatu from taking the post. “We again put our arms together, went to the town hall and prayed very, very hard. We asked God to intervene so that truth would prevail," said Fr. Ronilo Villamor, DCK, leader of the PPCRV and Concerned Citizens for Truth, Justice, and Peace. - GMANews.TV