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GUMACA, Quezon: Buenavista town Mayor Ma. Remedios Uri-Rivera was
elated when the court reaffirmed her status as the duly elected
chief executive Buenavista town that she burst into tears Wednesday
when Judge Hector Almeyda of Gumaca Regional Trial Court Branch 62
handed down the decision.
Former Buenavista Mayor Ramon Reyes, who ran and
lost against Rivera in last year’s mayoralty elections, filed an
election protest two months ago and requested for a recount.
In the dispositive portion of Almeyda’s
decision, 59 precincts containing 1,674 ballots claimed by Reyes to
be marked were counted and 50 votes were found to be marked,
resulting in the deduction of these votes from Rivera’s count and
in turn, credited to Reyes’ count.
Hence, the marked ballots were deducted from
Rivera’s total votes of 4, 897 and another ballot that contained
RR and Medy was again deducted from her votes and credited to Reyes,
which was done, according to the decision, “nor to the protestant
(Reyes) for the failure to determine the voter’s real intent.”
Rivera’s ultimate total votes numbered to 4,
840 against Reyes’ 4,835, giving Rivera the crucial five votes,
which reaffirmed her as the duly elected mayor of Buenavista town.
Before the promulgation started, Almeyda
commended both counsels, lawyers Jay Ilagan for Rivera and Fiscal
Dante Diamante for Reyes, for exhibiting utmost professionalism in
their representation of their respective clients.
Almeyda earlier said the case was his hardest
ever because both parties possessed considerable political influence
and both came from affluent families.
He admitted that he was expecting to be
approached by any or both of the parties and to his relief, no one
ever did.
When asked what her lucky charm is, Mayor Rivera
simply stated, “I just smile all the time, even if I’m faced
with problems. They say those who smile all the time always win.”
-- Belly M. Ortodoz
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