Jaworski: I know I won in Pasig mayoral race

By Kristine L. Alave
Inquirer

FORMER congressman Robert “Dodot” Jaworski Jr. has vowed to continue his fight for the post of Pasig mayor as the Commission on Elections will start recounting votes from 1,317 of the city’s precincts Monday.

“I want to get closure. In my heart, I know I won in the last elections. I won’t give up the fight. This is for the sake of the people,” Jaworski told the Inquirer.

He reiterated his claim that the official results of the city’s mayoral race in the May 14 elections did not tally with his watchers’ numbers.

The Comelec Second Division recently ordered the Pasig City Treasurer’s Office and its local division to conduct an inventory and seal ballot boxes from the 1,317 precincts, the first step in the recount of votes.

Jaworski earlier requested the Comelec to open and recount all the votes from the second district of the city which has 1,067 precincts.

In response, Eusebio, who was declared the winner, filed a counter-protest for the recount of votes cast in 250 precincts of the city’s first district. Based on the Comelec’s finally tally, Eusebio garnered 116,463 votes against the 107,141 cast in Jaworski’s favor.

The Comelec, meanwhile, ordered Jaworski and Eusebio to pay P868,676 and P246,160, respectively, to defray the expenses for the revision of the ballots and other incidental costs. The two were also directed to shoulder the salaries of the canvassers.

The fight over the mayoralty in Pasig City was one of the most closely-watched contests in Metro Manila, with Jaworski and Eusebio trading allegations of vote buying and election tampering over the course of canvassing.

Based on the Comelec’s order, its local division should make an accounting of the ballots Monday at the city’s covered court, which is being used as a distribution center for the city government’s “Paskong Handog” project for indigent residents. Some parts of the court are also under construction.

Ma. Anne Gonzales, Pasig election office, said they want to reschedule the inventory until after the project is finished.

Jaworski said this is the second time officials of the Pasig City Hall had asked the Comelec to reset the inventory. He expressed fears that his rival could be behind the delay.

He added that his lawyers had sent a “strongly worded” letter to the Second Division opposing a reschedule of the inventory.

If the Comelec does not rule on the issue, Jaworski said he expects the inventory to begin on Dec. 18.

“I don’t understand why they’re delaying it. If I were the Comelec, I would be glad that it would be out of my hands. Maybe they are anxious about the contents of the ballot boxes,” the former congressman said.

Gonzales, on the other hand, denied that the local Comelec wants to delay the inventory. She said the area where they are supposed to conduct the inventory is “not safe.” She added that the Comelec office in Intramuros would rule on their request today.

“The designated space is open and there is a road. If somebody throws something at us, then what would happen? I have a responsibility to my employees,” Gonzales said.

The Inquirer contacted Eusebio but he did not answer his phone. However, his lawyer earlier scoffed at Jaworski’s claim that he should have been declared the winner.

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