By Paulo Loreto Lim

The House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET), yesterday, opened the preliminary hearing on the electoral protest called by former Bacolod City Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson on the 2016 race for Bacolod Lone District Representative.
In the May elections, Greg Gasataya earned 85,467 votes to Sayson’s 84,431, a difference of 1,036.
The HRET, which is comprised of three Supreme Court Justices and six members of the House of Representatives, gave Sayson 15 days to provide additional documentation substantiating the claims made in his complaint.
In the filing of his protest, the former vice mayor questioned the credibility of the vote counting machines (VCMs) and requested a manual recount and audit of ballots.
Atty. Eduardo Padios, Sayson’s legal representation, said he is optimistic the tribunal will proceed with the recount. He also revealed Bacolod Lone District Representative Greg Gasataya, through his legal counsel, Atty. Joselito Bayatan, filed a motion to dismiss the protest.
“It’s a usual defense,” said Sayson. “We filed the protest after the manual audit by the Comelec (Commission on Elections) showed, in three precincts, I received plus nine votes.”
He also noted ballots he deemed questionable because they did not indicate a selection for congressman.
“They counted votes for other local positions but they did not vote for congressman,” the former vice mayor claimed, adding he believes there are around 27,000 such ballots.
Previously, in light of the protest, Sayson requested the proclamation of Greg Gasataya as Bacolod Lone District representative be annulled./WDJ