SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Former City of San Fernando mayoral candidate Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab filed an electoral protest Thursday (May 22) at the main office of Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in Intramuros, Manila.
Through her lawyers Atty. Arnold Bayobay and Atty. Jeffrey Joseph Miranda, Pineda-Cayabyab is requesting the Comelec to conduct a manual recount in all 239 clustered precincts in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga.
During the filing, Pineda-Cayabyab’s legal counsels submitted before the Comelec some 13,000 sworn affidavits from voters in the said city.
Miranda said this is the first electoral protest filed at the Comelec main office. The protest also cites alleged statistical anomalies in the results, including the outcome where Pineda-Cayabyab did not register a win in any precinct.
The filing also raises concerns over vote distributions across different demographics, suggesting possible irregularities in the automated voting system.
To recall, Mayor-elect Vilma Caluag garnered 127,124 votes (61.29%), while Pineda-Cayabyab got 49,061 votes (23.65%).
In addition to the manual recount, the protest requests the immediate preservation of election documents and digital data, including vote counting machines and SD cards, to protect potential evidence and ensure transparency.
Pineda-Cayabyab stated that the filing aims to uphold electoral integrity and protect the right of voters to have their votes accurately counted.
The protest is now under review by the Comelec.
In a press conference held at Choi Restaurant in Clark Field, Pampanga, Pineda-Cayabyab said the purpose of filing of electoral protest is to “clear the air of doubts on the surprising results of the election”.
“Hindi po pwedeng hindi ako gumawa ng legal na hakbang sa usaping ito. Ito po ay parte pa rin ng proseso ng eleksyon at demokrasya sa ating bansa kaya huwag po natin sana masamain ito. Gayundin po, obligasyon rin po natin na siguruhing mabilang ng tama ang lahat ng mga boto ng ating mga kababayan,” said Pineda-Cayabyab. (UnliNews Online)
