INQUIRER.net Eleksyon 2007

Too early for Pimentel III to celebrate, says Zubiri

Philippine Daily Inquirer

Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.

MANILA, Philippines -- Senator Juan Miguel “Migz" Zubiri Friday said it was too early for Aquilino Pimentel III to celebrate the decision of the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) to proceed with the recount of disputed results of the 2007 senatorial elections in several provinces in Mindanao.

“It is still a long process and in the absence of a SET order to vacate, I will continue to do my duties as a duly elected senator of the republic,” Zubiri said.

Zubiri was reacting to comments by Pimentel that the relatively swift decision by the nine-member SET augured well for his bid to eject the senator before his disputed six-year term ends in 2013.

The SET handed down the decision only a year after Pimentel filed his protest.

Zubiri said that as a lawyer, Pimentel should know that “an electoral protest is only settled after both sides are heard and both sides are given the chance to disprove allegations of fraud.”

In an order signed on June 17, the SET found “sufficient cause” to continue its “recount” in the electoral protest filed by Pimentel covering 2,658 precincts in Maguindanao, Lanao del Norte, Shariff Kabunsuan, Basilan, Sultan Kudarat, Lanao del Sur and Sulu.

“There is reasonable ground to believe that the final outcome of the case could affect the officially proclaimed results for the 12th senatorial position in the May 14, 2007, elections, hence the election protest case deserves further proceedings by this tribunal,” the SET said in its order. Pimentel had the 13th highest tally of votes in the contest.

Zubiri said that he also had “voluminous” testimony to back up his charges that the opposition cheated in 73,265 precincts across the country.

Zubiri’s lawyer, Romulo Macalintal, said that Pimentel should not presume the SET would rule in his favor unless his counsel proves beyond reasonable doubt that the votes in the fake ballots that were uncovered were counted in favor of the senator, who led by 19,292 votes over Pimentel at the time of the his proclamation.

Macalintal said that it was possible that the fake ballots were placed in the boxes only after the votes had already been counted in order to discredit the official canvassed results.

He noted that the SET’s focus was to determine whether the votes were fake or not and not who were responsible for the cheating.

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