Degamo awaits COMELEC’s Resolution to be declared Negros Oriental’s Governor

after ‘nuisance candidate’ incident

Dumaguete City- The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in Negros Oriental does not

have the power to transfer votes earned by a nuisance candidate to the legitimate candidate.

On May 10, Tuesday, the incumbent Governer Roel Ragay Degamo who was aiming for his

third and final term was defeated by Bayawan City’s Mayor Pryde Henry Teves of the

National People’s Coalition.

The new proclaimed governor garnered 296,897 votes against Governor Roel Degamo’s

277,462.

Degamo’s camp however, believes that the fight is not over yet. The incumbent governer

have taken legal steps to invalidate the votes of the third candidate with similar name and

have it transferred to him as that would put him in the lead against Teves.

The other candidate, Ruel Degamo whose real name is Grego Degamo, have

garnered 49,953.

The governor, on his Facebook page, have declared posted that the votes for Ruel Degamo

should be counted on his favor, because “Ruel is a nuisance candidate.” He also shared a

specific case, Santos vs. Comelec, where the COMELEC decided to automatically transfer

the votes of the nuisance candidate to the legitimate candidate as it only confused the voters.

In an interview on Thursday, Comelec-Negros Oriental provincial election supervisor lawyer

Lionel Marco Castillano issued the clarification amid concerns and verifications from

Degamo's side. However, Castillano stated that the judgment is not yet definitive and

executory because the governor's appeal for the revocation of Ruel's certificate of candidacy

is still ongoing at the Comelec en banc.

Castilliono also stated that only the COMELEC en banc can only rule on this petition because

they have already done their part in the election process. They have proclaimed Teves as the

winning candidate based on the actual votes earned last Monday.

In the event that Roel Degamo wins, the proclamation will be held in Manila.