CITY OF SAN FERNANDO— “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.”
Thus, the Commission on Elections’ 2nd Division dismissed the election protest filed by Danilo Baylon, the candidate defeated by second termer Pampanga Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda in the May 9, 2022 polls.
The 10-page order dated July 15 signed by 2nd Division presiding commissioner Marlon S. Casquejo and commissioner Rey E. Bulay was received by Pineda’s office on Aug. 4.
To Baylon’s allegations of irregularities and massive vote-buying upon which his protest was grounded, the 2nd Division stated: “The non-specification of the material facts such as names of the persons involved, the time of occurrence and the precincts where the allegations transpired render these averments blatantly unjustified and groundless.”
A part of the order read: “Though defeat in any elections is desolating for the losing candidate, an election protest must not be mused as a vindication of a lost opportunity of the noble cause to serve the public, or worst, as an unjustified assertion of a wounded pride.”
Pineda garnered 668,787 votes against Baylon’s 453,408 votes in the two-way race, according to a certified true copy of a provincial certificate of canvass.
“Ang order po ng Comelec na i-dismiss ang election protest ay tama at makatarungan kasi po naniniwala po ako na hindi mabibili ang mga Kapampangan,” the governor said.
“Sa buong campaign period, nanira sila at gumawa ng mga salita. Tapos na ang halalan, naninira pa rin sila. Sana po, pakinggan nila ang order ng Comelec. Igalang po sana nila ang boses ng nakakarami.”
