Binay files poll protest vs Peña

MANILA, Philippines —  Former vice president Jejomar Binay has filed an electoral protest against Makati City District 1 Rep. Romulo “Kid” Peña more than two months after he was proclaimed winner on May 14. 

 In an 80-page electoral protest, Binay’s camp asked the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal to nullify Peña’s election and proclamation and appealed for a manual recount of 235 protested clustered precincts. 

 “The congressional contest was marred by various manifestations of fraud, anomalies, irregularities and statistical improbabilities. Approximately 9,050 votes were disenfranchised to be null/misread votes,” Binay’s camp said.  

 The clustered precincts where Binay wants a manual recount include those in Barangays Poblacion, Bangkal, Bel-Air, Carmona, Dasmariñas, Forbes Park, Kasilawan, La Paz, Magallanes, Olympia, Palanan and Pio del Pilar. 

 A recount in the clustered polling precincts in Barangays San Antonio, San Isidro, San Lorenzo, Sta. Cruz, Singkamas, Tejeros, Urdaneta and Valenzuela is also being pushed by Binay’s camp.

  Peña got 71,035 votes or 5,806 higher than the 65,229 votes garnered by Binay. 

Peña said he respects Binay’s decision to file an electoral protest, but added that he will exhaust all legal remedies as they are still waiting for the official copy of the protest. 

  Binay, who lost in the 2016 presidential polls, sought a House seat last May, saying that “Makatizens” pushed him to run again.