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[av_heading heading=’Sayson poll protest vs Gasataya junked ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY MAE SINGUAY
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BACOLOD City – The House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) dismissed the election protest filed by former vice mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson in connection with the May 2016 polls.
The protest seeking a manual recount was “insufficient in form and substance,” stated the eight-page resolution signed by all eight HRET members and the chairman, Supreme Court associate justice Presbitero Velasco Jr.
Sayson ran for lone district representative but lost to Greg Gasataya by a slim margin.
The former vice mayor got 84,431 votes while the now congressman got 85,467.
In a news conference yesterday, Rep. Greg Gasataya told reporters the decision has “vindicated” him.
Gasataya thanked his legal team led by Atty. Jovy Dioso, his political allies, and his family and supporters.
Sayson, on the other hand, said in a text message he has no comment on the HRET decision.
Sayson, who ran under the National Unity Party/Pamilya MKK (Magbinuligay Kita sa Kauswagan), sought a recount of votes cast in all clustered precincts in the city.
Gasataya belonged to the opposing Nationalist People’s Coalition/Grupo Progreso.
Sayson also asked that Gasataya’s proclamation as elected lone district congressman be “annulled and set aside” and that he be declared the winner instead.
But Sayson’s manifestations and admissions during pretrial and preliminary conferences and his affidavit confirmed that he had no other basis for filing the protest other than his assumptions, the HRET said.
Sayson confirmed “the fact that he neither had proof to present on the alleged incidence of malfunctioning and/or hacking of the vote counting machines nor were there protests, complaints or objections made before the Board of Election Inspectors in any of the contested precincts in Bacolod City or the Board of Canvassers in the May 9, 2016 elections,” read part of the HRET resolution.
Moreover, he admitted in his judicial affidavit and the pretrial order that “he had no concrete and physical evidence of the alleged vote-buying by Gasataya and his political supporters,” stated the decision promulgated on Nov. 23./PN
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