Cebu City Treasurer’s Office Starts Inventory Of Ballot Boxes

The Cebu City Treasurer’s Office or CTO started today February 17, 2016 Wednesday the inventory of ballot boxes in relation to EPC No. 2013-10 Joy Augustus G. Young, protestant versus Edgardo C. Labella, protestee.

In compliance with the order of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) First Division dated January 20, 2016 the CTO officially conducted an inventory of the ballot boxes subject of the poll protest today at the City Storage Facility in the South Road Properties.

The ballot boxes subject of the poll protest which are coming from at least 78 clustered polling precincts will be turned-over by CTO to the Office of the Cebu City Election Officer within ten days.

Lawyer Judiel Pareja, legal counsel of Young said to the media that they will continue and observe the election protest proceedings to determine the real winner. He said the Cebu City Election Officer will turn-over the ballot boxes to the Comelec First Division in Manila for the recount.

The recount rooted from the election protest filed by Young against Labella on May 23, 2013 alleging for an election fraud and vote-buying.

Looking back, Young lost to Labella by a slim margin of 184 votes. He got 203,083 votes while Labella got 203,267 votes in the May 2013 election.

Vice Mayor Labella previously shared to the media that he was no longer concerned with the order of the Comelec First Division to continue the election protest proceedings, adding that he will just leave the matter to his lawyers.

Former vice mayor Young together with his lawyers and some personnel were present during the first day of the inventory.

During today’s inventory of ballot boxes, aside from the CTO personnel who conducted the inventory, the representatives from both camps and some members of the local media were also present.

Moreover, in the fast-approaching May 9, 2016 local and national elections coming less than 3 months from now, Labella is running for re-election as Vice Mayor while Young is running for City Councilor from an opposing party. (Cebu City Public Information Office PIO/Greggy Jiggs P. Senados)