INQUIRER.net Eleksyon 2007

Opposition in House still nursing impeachment hopes

Some opposition congressmen have not given up the idea of another impeachment attempt against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

"If we have the numbers, of course. It's a no-brainer," said South Cotabato Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio, who won reelection over boxing champion Manny Pacquiao.

Custodio took part in the back-to-back impeachment attempts mounted by opposition members of the House of Representatives against Ms Arroyo in 2005 and 2006 over the "Hello Garci" election cheating scandal.

But the House minority failed to get enough support.

Administration allies continue to dominate the House of Representatives based on results of the May 14 mid-term elections.

"We're still taking stock how many (opposition members) we actually lost. But it seems there are some additions to the minority," Custodio said.

Sorsogon Representative and senatorial candidate Francis Escudero, who was the House minority leader during the impeachment attempts, said it was unfortunate that the opposition did not get enough House seats.

He said congressional elections are dictated by local politics. "The effect of national issues are not that felt (at the local elections)," he said.

Escudero and two other representatives who led the impeachment ran for the Senate, Tarlac Rep. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III and Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano.

The three are ranking high in the partial unofficial and official counts.

"It was a lost cause because there's no numbers. But if we have the numbers, why not?" Custodio said.

Biazon extends hand to Puno but broadcaster eyes protest

A day after he was formally declared congressman of Muntinlupa City by the Commission on Elections, reelectionist Rep. Rosanno "Ruffy" Biazon believes the mudslinging and politicking should end with the proclamation of the winners.

"We may have been opponents but we are not enemies," Biazon said, referring to his rival, television journalist Ricardo "Dong" Puno. "We can work together. Puno is in media. He can help the city a lot because he is a respected journalist."

But Puno's camp is dead-set on filing an electoral protest after their lawyers pulled out of the canvassing proceedings on Wednesday. Puno earlier called the canvassing "a sham and an illegal proceeding that seeks to thwart the will of the voters."

Puno also stressed that he was not conceding or pulling out of the race.

His legal counsel, Millicent Desiderio, said their camp was studying possible legal remedies. "We no longer recognize the legality of the canvassing," she added. "It’s useless to pursue it. We were really deprived of due process. Our legal team will definitely file an electoral protest in due time."

Biazon acknowledged Puno had the prerogative to file a protest.

Aldrin San Pedro of the Genuine Opposition team, and Temy Simundac, won as mayor and vice mayor respectively in elections held in the city. Puno ran under the administration ticket with mayoral bet Lor Fresnedi, wife of incumbent Mayor Jaime Fresnedi, and Simundac.

San Pedro said he did not see any problems working with Simundac. "I was also with another party when I won as vice mayor before, and [Mayor Jaime] was with the administration. Kapag trabaho, trabaho. Walang politika [It’s just work, no politics involved]," he said.

"Mayor Fresnedi was mayor for nine years. He can help me a lot. I want a smooth transition too," San Pedro said.

Cayetano wife wins in Taguig congressional race

Finally, a Cayetano has become a clear winner in these elections.

Taguig City Board of Canvassers chairman James Dell Demetria proclaimed Lani Cayetano, wife of senatorial bet Alan Peter Cayetano, as the city’s representative for the first district.

Cayetano, who belonged to the Genuine Opposition, ran against councilor Arnel Cerafica of the KDT.

She was accompanied by her husband Alan and sister-in-law Pia during her proclamation as congresswoman-elect.

Alan thanked the residents for voting his wife, who will replace him as the Taguig-Pateros representative.

Alan is still awaiting his final standing in the senatorial vote count. Despite having to deal with a citizenship disqualification case (that was dismissed) and a Joselito Cayetano candidacy that cost him millions of votes, Alan is still ranking within the Magic 12 (8th to 10th places) in the official Commission on Elections count and the quick count of the National Movement for Free Elections.

Another Cayetano, Ren-Ren, lost the race for vice mayor in Muntinlupa to Temy Simundac.

Reelectionist Taguig City Vice Mayor George Elias was finally proclaimed on Wednesday night, hours after incumbent mayor Freddie Tinga was declared mayor-elect at dawn.

Elias, Tinga’s running mate under the Kilusang Diwa ng Taguig, got a final tally of 71,459 over Loida Labao-Alzona’s 69,550.

Councilor Henry "Jun" Duenas Jr. won by a slim margin against his chief rival Jett Reyes in the race for second district’s congressional seat.

Duenas got 28,564 votes, while Reyes garnered 27,107 votes. A third candidate, Arturo Alit, won 22,264 votes. Reyes is the son of environment secretary Angelo Reyes.

However, the Reyes camp said they were not about to give up and would file charges against the BOC, whom they accused of being biased.

"When canvassing is illegal, results are illegal too," said Lawyer Ed Borje, one of Reyes’s legal counsel.

Borje alleged that the BOC was biased because the body always denied their camp’s motions while those of the other parties were sustained, even though they raised the same points.

He said they would file before the Commission on Elections a petition for annulment of the proclamation. With a report from John Edison Fulgencio