Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said on Tuesday, May 10, that the vote count that showed his opponent winning especially in areas they consider their bailiwicks was “simply mysterious and unbelievable”.
The members of the Bacolod City Board of Canvassers proclaimed mayoral candidate Alfredo “Albee“ Benitez the winner with 171,893 votes, against Leonardia’s 107,447 votes Tuesday morning.
Leonardia, in a statement to the people of Bacolod posted on his Facebook page, said many of their Grupo Progreso (GP)supporters are still in shock over the results of the May 9 local elections.
“For now, we will leave the matter with our legal team. It will be up to the lawyers to study and look into possible legal remedies so that we can have the vote counting machines rechecked to satisfy the questions raised by the GP slate and all our supporters,” he said.
“They chorus that the results are mysterious and unbelievable”, Leonardia said.
They believe there was irregularity in the count, he said, citing “the manner of treating the casting of votes, the reports given to us by our poll watchers, and the unusual and questionable malfunctioning of a number of VCMs (vote counting machines), to cite a few prominent anomalies, which all raised questions on the fair conduct of the election and the credibility and accuracy of the electronic transmission and delivery of the votes from the precincts to the Comelec canvassing center”.
Their disbelief was bolstered by the fact that since Day One of the campaign, GP sorties and caucuses, whether held during the day or at night, were being attended by huge enthusiastic crowds without resorting to “hakot”, he added.
Supporters pointed out that their pre-opening salvo caravan was a record-setting event that the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office called “the longest ever held in the city”, Leonardia said.
He also said the GP “miting de avance” on May 7 was another record-breaking feat that drew a mammoth crowd.
Leonardia thanked all those who stayed during the good and most challenging times, his supporters and his family “for being there for me every step of the way.”*