PETITIONER RETRACTS SUPPORT NOT TO DECLARE YAP WINNER
LA TRINIDAD, Benguet
A petitioner that blocked the proclamation of Rep. Eric Go Yap as the overwhelming victor in the May 12 midterm elections has retracted and wants his name removed from same that was submitted with the Commission on Elections Monday. Victor Belino in a six page affidavit said he is retracting his signature for the “sincere desire to tell the truth and correct my mistake.” Belino, a Buguias resident who supports vice gov. Ericson Felipe,, admitted he was drunk when he signed the petition and he did not know the contents. “He was tipsy when he signed the petition,” said lawyer Tomas Padaco, who represents Belino. Belino said that he was one of the eight signatories when asked to do so thinking that it was merely an attendance sheet. “I didn’t,read it so I didn’t know its contents,” he said in a mix of Kankana-ry and Iloko to local media.
He admitted that it was only the next day when he learned that it was a petition to stop Yap from being proclaimed. Belino’s family and relatives are pro-Yap and told him that they have been helped by the congressman. Belino however did not sign an affidavit when it was filed with the Comelec and one of the he five cases barring Yao’s declaration. Padaco said that the five cases will probably be consolidated when it deliberates on it. The retraction that will be filed Tuesday will come the day before a group led by La Trinidad losing councilor candidate Gary Abela will hold a peace rally and prayer vigil to show support to Yap who won overwhelmingly with more than 144,000 voters against the 65,000 plus voted of Felipe. Abela said that they hope to muster about 7,000 to 8,000 signatories. The prayer rally will be held at the back of the municipal hall.
RETRACTED. Victor Belino narrates that he was having drinks when he signed an attendance sheet that turned out to be a petition that helped stop the declaration of Rep. Eric Yap as the victor of the May 12 elections. To his left are lawyer Tomas Padaco and Gary Abela who leads the organization of a peace rally on Wednesday urging the Commission on Elections to proclaim Yap as the winner.
PML
