SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ, Nueva Ecija – Former three-term mayor Efren Alvarez of the Bagong Lakas ng Nueva Ecija won the 2007 vice mayoralty race over Vice Mayor Alberto Tobias, Jr., according to a decision rendered by the Comelec’s First Division announced over the weekend.
In a 74-page decision signed by Presiding Commissioner Rene Sarmiento and Commissioners Armando Velasco and Gregorio Larrazabal, the Comelec ruled that Alvarez garnered a total of 14,117 votes over Tobias’ 13,699 votes.
Alvarez is the brother of Nestor Alvarez, the incumbent mayor who also comes from the local opposition Balane while Tobias belongs to the administration party Lakas-CMD-Kampi.
Tobias was declared winner in 2007 by a margin of 97 votes over Alvarez.
But Alvarez, who was mayor in 1992-1998 before losing the second district congressional race in 2001, filed an election protest saying he would have won the vice mayoral race “if not for the irregularities.”
Howver, Tobias claimed the 2007 local elections were not attended by any irregularities and that the will of the people prevailed.
Following the examination and appreciation of the contested ballots, the Comelec invalidated 672 ballots and upheld the validity of 26 ballots for Tobias while invalidating only 129 ballots and upholding the validity of 63 ballots for Alvarez, eating up Tobias’ narrow lead.
In upholding Alvarez’s election protest, the Comelec ordered Tobias to cease and desist from further performing the functions of vice mayor and vacate the office in favor of protestant Alvarez.
Alvarez said he felt vindicated by the Comelec decision, although he said could not believe it at first.
“I couldn’t believe it,” a visibly excited Alvarez said, who was provincial administrator during the term of late former six-time governor Eduardo Joson Sr. He said his lawsyers have filed a motion with the Comelec for the issuance of a writ of execution pending appeal filed by Tobias’s camp.
In a 74-page decision signed by Presiding Commissioner Rene Sarmiento and Commissioners Armando Velasco and Gregorio Larrazabal, the Comelec ruled that Alvarez garnered a total of 14,117 votes over Tobias’ 13,699 votes.
Alvarez is the brother of Nestor Alvarez, the incumbent mayor who also comes from the local opposition Balane while Tobias belongs to the administration party Lakas-CMD-Kampi.
Tobias was declared winner in 2007 by a margin of 97 votes over Alvarez.
But Alvarez, who was mayor in 1992-1998 before losing the second district congressional race in 2001, filed an election protest saying he would have won the vice mayoral race “if not for the irregularities.”
Howver, Tobias claimed the 2007 local elections were not attended by any irregularities and that the will of the people prevailed.
Following the examination and appreciation of the contested ballots, the Comelec invalidated 672 ballots and upheld the validity of 26 ballots for Tobias while invalidating only 129 ballots and upholding the validity of 63 ballots for Alvarez, eating up Tobias’ narrow lead.
In upholding Alvarez’s election protest, the Comelec ordered Tobias to cease and desist from further performing the functions of vice mayor and vacate the office in favor of protestant Alvarez.
Alvarez said he felt vindicated by the Comelec decision, although he said could not believe it at first.
“I couldn’t believe it,” a visibly excited Alvarez said, who was provincial administrator during the term of late former six-time governor Eduardo Joson Sr. He said his lawsyers have filed a motion with the Comelec for the issuance of a writ of execution pending appeal filed by Tobias’s camp.
