Electoral tribunal affirms Failon victory

The House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) yesterday affirmed the May 2001 victory of Leyte first district Rep. Ted Failon Etong by junking the election protest filed by former congressman Alfred Romualdez.

In its 37-page resolution, the HRET, chaired by Associate Justice Reynato Puno, said Romualdez’ charges of electoral fraud, vote-buying, bribery, intimidation and harassment of poll watchers against Failon were all without basis.

The resolution added that after a ballot recount of the precints questioned by Romualdez, Failon still won by a margin of 5,054 votes.

Failon, a broadcast journalist and a novice politician, ran as an independent candidate against incumbent Romualdez.

On the whole, the tribunal explained, Romualdez and Failon presented no evidence the would "overcome the primacy of the ballots as best evidence of the results of the elections."

"For failure to attain a substantial change in the number of votes for protestant (Romualdez), and for failure to adduce convincing evidence in furtherance of the claim of protestant that the elections of May 14, 2001 was attended by massive irregularities, the Tribunal resolved to dismiss the present election protest," the HRET said.