Eusebio poll protest vs Pasig's Vico Sotto fails in form, substance

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections Second Division has ordered the dismissal of the election protest lodged by former mayor Bobby Eusebio against Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the poll body's second division decided unanimously to dismiss the protest, citing insufficiency in form and substance.

According to the poll body, Eusebio's protest "failed to reflect a detailed specification of the acts of omission complained of showing electoral fraud, anomalies or irregularities in the protested precincts."

Eusebio, former mayor of Pasig, filed the electoral protest against Sotto in June following the latter's proclamation as the winner of the city's mayoral race in the 2019 midterm elections.

Sotto won by 86,500 votes, ending the 27-year dominance of the Eusebio clan in Pasig City.

In an answer to Eusebio's complaint, Sotto asked the Comelec to dismiss the protest due to insufficient form and content.

“The allegations are too broad and no evidence to support the claims other than the mere affidavits of the loser’s supporters," Sotto's lawyer Romulo Macalintal earlier said. — Patricia Lourdes Viray