Tension grips Agusan town as mayor loses, demands recount

By BEN SERRANO
Correspondent

BUTUAN City–Tension gripped Sta. Josefa, Agusan del Sur on Monday after  supporters of losing town mayor John Roby Ramos Otero and five reelectionist town councilors blocked a group that was moving election returns and ballot boxes to the capitol in Patin-ay, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur.

The protests however did not stop the proclamation of  Vice Mayor Symond Caguiat as the winning mayoral candidate.

Caguiat’s running mate and seven candidates for the town council under his ticket were also proclaimed winners.

For days, supporters of Mayor Otero, councilors Rey Quijada, Inday Mehila, Arnold Evangelio, Wato Recoma, and Grace Otero set up a barricade to prevent the transfer of the ballots and election returns.

The protesters have demanded a recount.

Police confirmed  the standoff.

Quijada said they were set on  filing a petition for a recount. He said they have affidavits of over 50 witnesses who alleged that there was massive vote buying and shaving of votes.

“The number of voters who voted do not match with number of official ballots cast,” Quijada said.

Mayor Otero’s challenger Symond Caguiat garnered 8,657 votes while the reelectionist mayor had 5,588 votes, based on the Comelec count.

Noel Orot, the elections officer, said he received complaints and queries from election inspectors in 11 barangays because official ballots supposedly had the same numbers.

“I was surprised that official ballots have the same ballot ID numbers… This was not supposed to happen.. there must be distinguishing marks or different ballot ID numbers,” Orot said. “But these were what we received here. We just received them… It was the different BEIs that noticed the discrepancies.”

Orot also said some vote-counting machines malfunctioned  but were replaced by available contingency VCMs, and that some voters did not get receipts.

Orot Mayor Otero and three reelectionist town councilors filed a protest and sought a recount.

As tension escalated, he said, he sought police assistance to avoid a clash between the administration group and the local National Unity Party headed by Vice Mayor Symond Caguiat.

Aggravating the problem, according to Orot, were reports of widespread vote buying in the town. But he said no one has come forward to file a complaint.

Caguiat, the winning mayoral candidate, welcomed the petition for a vote recount, saying he respects the right of his political opponents.

But Caguiat said there are legal processes that must be followed.