CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – For lack of form and content, the Commission on Elections has dismissed the election protest filed by losing gubernatorial candidate Danilo Baylon against Pampanga Gov. Lilia “Nanay” Pineda.
In a nine-page order dated July 28, 2026, the Commission’s First Division ruled to dismiss the protest, docketed as EPC No. 2025-021, for “failing to comply with the mandatory form and content requirements of Section 7 (g) Rule 6 of Comelec Resolution No. 8804 as amended.” As a consequence, Pineda’s counter-protest was likewise dismissed.
Baylon claimed electoral fraud in 1,817 clustered precincts across Pampanga. “Such allegations, however, without factual substantiation, are considered scattershot amounting to mere speculation,” read the order signed by First Division presiding chair Aimee Ferolino and Commissioners Ernesto Ferdinand Maceda Jr. and Maria Norina Tangaro-Casingal.
Furthering: “A scrutiny of the judicial affidavits likewise shows that the alleged electoral fraud, anomalies or irregularities stated therein, particularly those involving technical issues such as malfunctioning of Automated Counting Machines, delays in the transmission of results, rejected ballots, and similar incidents are merely technical incidents and do not necessarily constitute election fraud, anomalies, [or] irregularities.”
The Comelec added that allowing protests based on broad or unsupported claims would encourage “fishing expeditions,” which are prohibited under election rules and Supreme Court jurisprudence.
A businessman and former mayor of Candaba, Baylon filed the protest on May 23, 2025, days after Pineda was proclaimed winner of the gubernatorial race with 709,694 votes against his 476,642 votes for a margin of 233,052 votes.
In 2022, Baylon also filed an election protest against then-Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda which was also subsequently dismissed by the Comelec on the same grounds of “insufficient in form and content as required in Section 7 (g), Rule 6 in relation to Section 9 (b), Rule 6 of Comelec Resolution No. 8804, as amended.” Punto News Team
