Election Protest vs. Munti mayor withdrawn

Former Muntinlupa mayor Jaime Fresnedi has withdrawn the election protest he filed against incumbent Mayor Aldrin San Pedro in connection with the May 11, 2010 elections.

In a manifestation filed with the First Division of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Fresnedi, through his counsel Atty. George Erwin Garcia, said he is withdrawing the election protest due to “financial constraints”.

“The undersigned (Garcia) has been instructed by the protestant (Fresnedi) to withdraw the instant election protest case due to financial constraints,” according to the manifestation signed by Garcia and Fresnedi.

In addition, Fresnedi asked the Comelec First Division to release his cash deposit totaling P1.08 million (P1,081,000) which he paid the Comelec in June and October last year to cover the recount.

San Pedro defeated Fresnedi in the May 2010 elections to win his second term. San Pedro garnered 108,091 votes against Fresnedi’s 76,808 votes.

Before filing to withdraw his election protest, Fresnedi asked the Comelec to defer the revision of ballots in his case which was supposed to start last May 9.

The revision of ballots was supposed to cover 66 election precincts in Muntinlupa or 20 percent of the protest proper.

In an order dated May 5, Presiding Commissioner Rene Sarmiento of the Comelec First Division junked Fresnedi’s request, ruling that “we do not find his reason for the deferment of the recount proceedings reasonable.”

Mayor San Pedro likewise opposed the deferment of the revision of ballots.

In his comment and opposition filed with the Comelec, Mayor San Pedro said the request to defer the recount “is nothing short of dilatory with no other purpose except to cause delay to the final resolution of the protest”.