Ex Mayor Emralino vs. Mayor Maliwanag

Quezon Mayor raps fraud charges during 2007 election.

Lucena City---- The opening of 22 ballot boxes confirmed irregularities due to one penmanship written by only one person after the start up of revision in relative to the election protest filed by David Emralino against Mayor Bong Maliwanag of Candelaria.

The revision of 89 precincts was then conducted at Regional Trial Court, branch 58 under Judge Loida Diaz. It started on September 12, 2008 and expected to end at the month of January by next year based from the six months ruling of the Supreme Court.

According to Attorney Joan Padilla, legal counsel of Emralino, the revision committee found out that there are lots of irregularities because some of election returns has no watermarks and written by only one person while also the other has two penmanship.

Emralino believed that a large deception during last 2007 election has occurred.

“Fraud ang aking isinampang kaso , hindi sa kung ano pa man na ako’y makabalik sa posisyon kungdi mapatunayan ko na ang nakaupong punongbayan ay hindi lehitimo, kapag napatunayan na siya ay nandaya nung nakaraang eleksyon ay saka lamang mapapanatag ang aking kalooban ” Emralino said.

Because of the controversial issue faced by the Commission on Election (COMELEC) during the chairmanship of Benjamin Abalos the decision to the filed case was then brought to RTC, branch 57 of Judge Adolfo V. Encomienda then transferred to Judge Diaz due to the motion for inhibition filed by Mayor Maliwanag.

The Eyewatch tried to contact Maliwanag but remain silent about the issue and still waiting for the result of the said case