Biron: Nearly 100K votes still uncounted

Iloilo gubernatorial candidate, outgoing Iloilo fourth district Rep. Ferjenel Biron, recently filed an electoral protest and is seeking a recount after losing the governor’s race to Iloilo third district Rep. Arthur Defensor, Jr., son of outgoing Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor, Sr.
“Ang result sang surveys a week before sang elections did not anticipate sang resulta (Surveys conducted a week before the elections did not expect this result),” he explained in an interview with Bombo Radyo Iloilo yesterday. “Ang survey sang RACI (Random Access Consultancy Inc.) two weeks and a week before election kon sa diin we will win by a substantial margin (RAC1 surveys conducted a week and two weeks before the election projected we would win by a substantial margin).”
According to the latest returns, Defensor won by 473,680 votes to 383,656, a difference of 90,024. Biron claims there were 99,899 uncounted votes.
“Very clear ini, may suspicion kita nga may anomaliya (There are very clear suspicions of anomalies),” Biron added.
He also claimed voters who cast ballots for Biron received receipts showing a vote for Defensor.
“Until today ang aton nga supporters, even our big leaders –Garin group, Gorriceta, Tupas, our leaders in the third district, and the entire province—could hardly comprehend sang result (To this day, our supporters, various ‘big leaders,’ third congressional district officials, and the entire province are unable to comprehend the result,” he stated.
In response to the claims of voting machines printing incorrect receipts, Defensor said voters should have brought the matter before a Board of Election inspector.
“Didto palang sa presinto gina reklamo mo na daan (Present your complaint right there in the precinct,” the governor-elect affirmed.
Defensor said, once he receives a copy of the protest, he will check what legal recourse to take./WDJ