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By Francis Earl A. Cueto, Reporter
VICE-GOVERNOR-ELECT Jose Antonio
“Marc” Leviste 2nd on Wednesday accused Executive Secretary
Eduardo Ermita and the Commission on Elections of conspiring to
delay his proclamation.
Based on the final tally of the
Batangas Provincial Board of Canvassers, Leviste won by 18,000 votes
against Edwin Ermita, the son of the executive secretary. Leviste
also had a 184,000-vote edge over the actor Christopher de Leon.
“My rivals can’t alter or
doctor the results anymore because the votes from the barangays,
towns at precincts in Batangas have all been tallied,” Leviste
said at the weekly Fernandina Forum held at the Club Filipino in San
Juan.
He rejected the possibility of
holding special elections in the province, saying the winners have
all been proclaimed.
The new governor, Vilma Santos,
has already been proclaimed.
Leviste said his rivals have a
lot to do with the delay in his proclamation.
“Justice delayed is justice
denied, by declaring the Comelec decision, the popular will of the
Batangueños is being thwarted,” he said.
Leviste also debunked the
accusations of his former driver, Edward Ronquillo, that he planned
to bomb the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, and that he had had affairs
with the actresses Maui Taylor, Diana Zubiri and Jackie Yllana.
“The statements of my former
employee is false, malevolent and ridiculous,” he said.
“It is unfair to my family and
Maui, Diana and Jackie to be dragged into such baseless
controversies,” he said.
Leviste said he did not want to
go down to the level his political opponents.
“As much as possible I don’t
want to stoop down to their level, however, I want to clear my name
and I believe that the public, especially the personalities being
involved deserves an explanation,” he said.
Leviste ran under the wing of
incumbent Gov. Armand Sanchez, who lost to Santos.
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