By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

La Castellana Mayor Rhumyla Nicor-Mangilimutan has requested the court to dismiss the electoral protest filed by her opponent in the town’s recent mayoral race, former La Castellana Vice Mayor Felix Feria IV. She called the claims brought up in the case “baseless” with an “utter lack of merit.”
During a press conference yesterday, she said Feria was on a “fishing expedition” and claimed he “unconsciously admitted” to having no basis in his claims.
“[Feria] wanted it to be opened first in order to find out whether he has no basis or not,” the mayor insisted.
According to Nicor-Mangilimutan’s affidavit-in-response: “[The] protestant failed to state or show, in particularity, what are those illegal acts in order to justify the opening of the ballots in the said clustered precincts.”
In his petition, the former city official said he is seeking the “real results of the elections in La Castellana.”
According to the most recent returns, the incumbent won by 17.822 votes to 13,987.
Meanwhile, Atty. Cesar Beloria, the mayor’s legal counsel, said they will be suing the complainant for damages./DGB, WDJ