CEBU, Philippines - The political supporters of incumbent Carmen Mayor Sonia Pua have staged a rally outside the Municipal Hall to call on the Commission on Elections to allow a manual count of the ballots inside the Precinct Count Optical Scan machines.
About 500 supporters of Pua attempted to get inside the building to force the poll officials to accept their request for manual count. At least 1,000 signatures have been gathered so far to support the petition asking the Comelec for a manual count.
They are questioning Pua’s defeat to Gerard Villamor in the last May 10 elections. The tension brought about by the continued protests of the political supporters of the incumbent mayor has forced the Cebu Provincial Police Office to deploy the members of the Regional Mobile Group in the town.
Members of the 78th Infantry Battalion were also seen deployed in the place forcing the protesters to voluntarily disperse. CPPO chief Erson Digal said they will retain the members of the RMG in the town momentarily to prevent the protesters from coming back.
“Dili lang sa sila e.pull-out kay basin unya ug mamalik niya ang mga tao nga nag-rally,” Digal said. (FREEMAN NEWS)