Hagedorn demands stop to canvassing of Palawan votes

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY — Canvassing of votes at the City Hall was halted early yesterday following a threat from Mayor Edward Hagedorn, who was trailing in the gubernatorial race, that there would be "bloodshed" if the Commission on Elections (Comelec) continued its official count.

Witnesses said Hagedorn arrived at the session hall of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, where the counting was being held, at about 9 a.m. with his lawyer and about a dozen plainclothes bodyguards.

His supporters, many of them wearing "Hagedorn for Governor" T-shirts, swarmed around the City Hall grounds.

Irate and red-faced, Hagedorn demanded the suspension of the canvassing and complained of massive vote-buying and disenfranchisement of voters, witnesses said.

At one point, he stood up and told the board of canvassers that "if you do not stop the counting, there will be bloodshed in Puerto Princesa," said Vanny Gastanes, a poll watcher who was in the hall at that time.

Hagedorn, in a statement, said he "could no longer ignore the swell of angry sentiments of thousands of voters who were disenfranchised."

He further claimed that he was told of "massive cheating during the vote canvassing at the precinct level, of massive vote-buying and other anomalies."

"And they were ready to go out to the streets to express their sentiments, come what may," he said, adding that he asked that the canvassing at City Hall be "temporarily suspended" because of the "emotionally charged atmosphere."

The latest Comelec count showed Hagedorn trailing Gov. Joel Reyes in the city, considered the mayor´s bailiwick.

Partial and unofficial reports from the provincial office of the Department of the Interior and Local Government also showed Reyes in the lead with 50,186 votes while Hagedorn had 33,974 votes from more than half of the precincts in the city and 21 municipalities all over the province.

Police officials rushed to the City Hall after local radio stations reported the tension brewing there.

Arsenio Guste, chairman of the city board of canvassers, ordered a recess and attended a closed-door meeting with the mayor in the latter´s office.

After the meeting, Guste announced the resumption of tabulation of canvassed precincts yesterday afternoon and canvassing today.

"It is for your own good because if we proceed outright, we do not know what will happen," he told the crowd waiting at the session hall.

He confirmed the statements of witnesses about Hagedorn’s outburst but downplayed the issue, saying "Nabigla lang siya, sa tingin ko he´s not so serious (It was just an outburst, I don’t think he’s so serious)." — Bandillo ng Palawan News Service