Loot files election protest vs Corro

CEBU, Philippines - Daanbantayan mayor-elect Vicente "Vic" Loot has filed a counter-protest against outgoing Mayor Augusto Corro before the Regional Trial Court in Bogo City.

Loot, who was proclaimed winner in the May 9 elections by a slim margin of seven votes, has also asked for the dismissal of the election protest filed by Corro against him for failure to comply with the Supreme Court rules of procedure in election contests involving elective municipal officials.

The rules require that the protestee be furnished a copy of the election protest before it is filed in court.

Loot denied the allegations of Corro and instead presented evidence to support his counter-protest of "prevalent electoral fraud, anomalies and irregularities and rampant harassment, threats, vote-buying and terrorism" allegedly perpetrated by the incumbent mayor.

Loot also alleged that the main SD cards have been configured to shave his votes and add more votes in favor of Corro.

He also claimed that several hundreds, if not thousands, of rejected ballots were in his favor. According to him, without the electoral frauds, anomalies, irregularities, he would have garnered more votes and widened his winning margin against Corro.

Loot asked that the hearing of the protest against him and his counter-protest be transferred to another venue.

According to Loot, there are already serious doubts in the past of the integrity of the court in Bogo City because of alleged post-election operation through ballot switching.

Loot also questioned the authority of lawyer Liza Corro, sister of the outgoing mayor, to represent her brother in the case because she is a government official.

Liza is the Dean of the University of the Philippines-Cebu. — (FREEMAN)