ILOILO City – A recount of votes for barangay captain in San Juan, Molo district showed the proclaimed winner in the May 14 polls, Pascual “Sipil” Espinosa IV, garnering the same number of votes as his defeated rival, Jose Martin Maloto.
The Municipal Trial Court, Branch 1 made known the result of the recount on Wednesday. Both Espinosa and Maloto got 2,324 votes each.
Maloto filed an election protest right after the barangay election. He lost to Espinosa by only eight votes – 2,315 votes as against Espinosa’s 2,323.
Maloto told Panay News yesterday he was not satisfied with the turnout of the recount. He would be appealing the court’s findings.
“We will file an appeal. May nakita pa ‘ko nga gamay nga buho. Daw indi pa ‘ko kuntento. Kinahanglan himuon ta tanan para sa pumoluyo,” said Maloto. “Madaog gid ko ‘ya.”
City Assistant City Election Officer Jonathan Sayno said Maloto could file his appeal before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) within five days beginning Aug. 22.
The Election Contests Adjudication Department of Comelec would review the decision of the court and decide either to uphold it or not, said Sayno.
“If he won’t file an appeal kag mag-lapse ang five days, the decision mangin final and executory,” said Sayno.
In this case, said Sayno, the court will issue an order to the Barangay Board of Canvassers San Juan, Molo to resolve the tie through a draw lots based Section 240 of the Omnibus Election Code Section 240.
For now, said Sayno, Espinosa remains as barangay captain of San Juan pending the finality of Maloto’s election protest./PN
