A MUNICIPAL mayor refused to concede to a retired police general who foiled his reelection bid with only seven votes.
Mayor Augusto Corro of Daanbantayan in the northern tip of Cebu said he could not accept that he was defeated by Vicente Loot, who retired from the police service last year, by less than 10 votes.
“There’s really (something) wrong here,” said Corro, adding that he asked his lawyers to consolidate the documents to be used in filing charges against Loot whom he accused of harassing his supporters.
At least 800 supporters of Corro started gathering in front of the municipal hall to protest his loss to Loot, husband of former mayor Maria Luisa Loot whom Corro defeated in the 2013 polls.
Senior Inspector Roger Quijano, head of the Daanbantayan Police Station, said he deployed 15 policemen to especially secure the vicinity of their town hall in case commotion would occur.
Senior Supt. Clifford Gairanod, head of the Cebu Provincial Police Office, also told reporters during his noontime press conference that members of CPPO’s Quick Response Team were also deployed to Daanbantayan town to augment the local police unit.
“We are doing our best to pacify any situation that might come out. We will also now start retrieving the ballot boxes and the VCMs the soonest possible time,” he added.
Corro said he told his supporters to stay calm and allow the legal process to take its course.
Loot of One Cebu-United Nationalist Alliance, got 20,412 votes against Corro of Liberal Party who garnered 20,405 votes.
During his proclamation on Tuesday, Loot denied harassing Corro’s supporters and sought support since he was a neophyte politician.
Corro vowed to file charges against Loot whom he accused of leading his men in blocking the mayor’s supporters in Barangay Taminhao a day before the election.
On May 9 polls, he said a barangay official who was allied with Loot, went inside a polling precinct in Barangay Carnaza and intimidated his supporters.
He added Loot’s camp also distributed umbrellas bearing the name of the retired police general.
“I could not blame them (my supporters) after all the harassment that we have encountered and with just a margin of seven votes. I don’t just concede defeat,” Corro said.
Loot said he would welcome the filing of a complaint against him as it will give him a chance to seek answers to so many questions, he said.
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