Mayor Monico Puentevella thanked the employees of the Bacolod City government for their support during his stint as mayor in what could be his last flag ceremony at City Hall yesterday. Puentevella told department and office heads, and regular and casual employees, his presence before them does not mean goodbye but he does not actually know yet when he will be returning to City Hall. Puentevella, whose term ends noontime of June 30, shook hands with all the employees and was embraced by his emotional supporters. He lost to Bacolod Rep. and mayor-elect Evelio Leonardia during the May 9 elections by 22,238 votes. Puentevella and his running mate, Pamilya MKK vice mayoralty candidate Vladimir Gonzalez filed an election protest last week before the Electoral Contest Adjudication Department of the Commission on Elections seeking a manual recount or audit of the ballots cast during the May 9 elections. Gonzalez also lost to Councilor and Vice Mayor-elect El Cid Familiaran by 21,749 votes. Both Leonardia and Familiaran ran under the Nationalist People's Coalition-Grupo Progreso. Puentevella got 97,993 votes against Leonardia who got 120,231 votes, while Gonzalez got 86,611 votes against El Cid Familiaran who got 108,360 votes. Joselito Bayatan, counsel of Leonardia, said he had received a summon from the Comelec which included a prayer to order the Board of Canvassers to facilitate the manual recount or audit of ballots cast during the May 9 elections in the assailed 198 clustered precincts in 45 barangays in Bacolod and to order the City Treasurer to hold and secure in its custody the ballot boxes, vote counting machine, and all other paraphernalia and records until further ordered by the Comelec. It also stated that “In the event that the manually recounted or audited votes of Bacolod show that protestant Puentevella is the rightful winner for the position of mayor, the Comelec shall annul and withdraw the proclamation of protestee Leonardia as elected mayor of Bacolod, and to proclaim Puentevella as the duly elected mayor of Bacolod.” Majarucon-Sia was also directed by the Comelec to submit documents of the 198 clustered precincts subject of the election protest. Earlier, a Civil Case No. 1604 was also filed against Bacolod Election Officer Mavil Majarucon-Sia, Lelanie Lory Bojos and Gerald John Joven of the Board of Canvassers and City Treasurer Giovanni Balalilhi by Richard Calulut, Rufino Alcala, Rodelyn Jagunap, Lope Ledesma, Jr., Levy Cadagat, Jr., Rodolfo Robles, Jr., Banni Macapodi, Nelson Reyes, Rosanna Ilon, Jose Jessie Bantigue, Madeline Diaz, Salvacion Penuela, Febe Legaspi, Joji Agbas, Emilia Lopez, Edgardo Emilia, Jessel Sombilla and Stella Alfabeto also seeking a manual recount of the ballots cast. Losing Pamilya MKK candidates for councilor also filed a motion for intervention before the Regional Trial Court Branch 42 joining other petitioners in seeking a manual count or audit of the ballots cast in the May 9 elections.*CGS Visayan Daily Star BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO
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