‘Namfrel vote tally shows Barbers beat Biazon’

Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert "Ace" Barbers said yesterday the final report of the National Citizen’s Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) that showed his father, former senator Robert Barbers, holding the 12th Senate slot strengthens their claim that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) erred in proclaiming Sen. Rodolfo Biazon as the winner.

Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay called on the Comelec to ask Namfrel officials to clarify their final report, which had been released the other day, to remove all doubts on who won the last Senate seat in the May 10 elections.

Pichay called on the Comelec "to resolve the issue once and for all and at the soonest possible time, in fairness to both parties concerned."

"Biazon, being an officer and a statesman, would certainly want to see this issue resolved to the full satisfaction of the parties concerned and the nation as well," he said.

Pichay said the conflict over the 12th Senate seat has no bearing at all on the presidential and vice presidential contest, which Namfrel declared had been clearly won by President Arroyo and Vice President Noli de Castro.

"Clearly, it is only on the 12th Senate spot where there is a conflict on the poll findings," he said.

The elder Barbers’ lawyer, Sixto Brillantes, said the certificates of canvass (COCs) and statements of votes used in the congressional canvass showed Barbers overcame Biazon’s lead of 10,685 votes.

Brillantes also said Barbers now leads Biazon by 1,000 votes as a result of the recently concluded canvassing of votes in South Upi and Talitay, Maguindanao; Colombio in Sultan Kudarat, Silvino Lobos in Northern Samar and the special elections held in Ligao City in Albay.

He added that they have not yet included the results of the special elections in the towns of Bayang, Madalum and Kapai, all in Lanao del Sur, where Barbers got a lead of 846 votes over Biazon.

Barbers himself alleged that the Comelec may be "covering up something."

"I will surrender the fight only after the Comelec had finished counting the uncanvassed votes as well as the results of the special elections. I will humbly submit to that result. If I lose after the counting, so be it," he said.

Barbers said he sees no valid reason why the Comelec’s First Division refused to count the votes after an agreement was reached, when the Comelec itself ordered the canvassing and the special elections.

"Are they covering up something, being dictated upon by a high-ranking congressional leader, or they just don’t like to count because they know that Mindanao and Visayas are my bailiwicks?" he asked, citing that in the Comelec’s official tally, he led Biazon in all the regions in Mindanao and Visayas.

The younger Barbers urged the Comelec to tally the uncanvassed votes to resolve the conflict over the last Senate seat, noting that both the poll body and Biazon’s camp agree there are still votes waiting to be tallied.

"We have certificates with 29,000 uncanvassed votes. This is enough to materially affect the results of the (candidate who will win the 12th Senate seat). We are asking the Comelec to count these votes," he told reporters at the weekly Kapihan sa Sulo Hotel forum in Quezon City.

Barbers clarified that the COCs containing the uncanvassed votes were also the same set canvassed by Congress for the presidential and vice presidential candidates.

Barbers said that when they counted the uncanvassed votes, his father led Biazon by 2,000 votes. He added that if they can gather enough proof to show that the Comelec showed partiality in proclaiming Biazon, they will definitely pursue a case against officials of the poll body.