Arenas blasts Soriano’s victory claim
“THAT’S A blatant lie!”
Thus said an infuriated 3rd District Rep. Ma. Rachel Arenas over the recent claim anew of Galant Soriano that he actually won the congressional race in 2007.
A recent column item in a national daily quoted Soriano’s claim that he was declared winner in the 2007 elections.
She said the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) has yet to issue an official decision on Soriano’s protest.
“Soriano’s desperate attempt to continuously undermine the credibility of an elected official is an affront to the district’s populace,” said lawyer Hilario de los Santos, Arenas’ chief of staff.
“It is not true that Soriano won the protest that he filed against Rep. Rachel Arenas. In fact, during the hearings conducted by House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) it was proven by the members of the Board of Election Inspectors of the contested precincts in Mapandan, Pangasinan that the election returns of Galant Soriano were fake. Thus, the lead of Rep. Arenas increased,” De los Santos wrote in his letter to the national daily protesting the columnist’s “irresponsible journalism”.
Arenas, in an interview with The PUNCH, noted how Soriano, who placed third in the race, has been claiming victory ever since she assumed office in 2007 following her election in May that year.
The congresswoman said she has been ignoring the claims of Soriano and focused on her development projects for the sake of her constituents but she is finally fed up with Soriano’s “false and baseless claims.”
Generoso Tulagan Jr. who came in second in that election, also filed an election protest but has remained quiet about the matter pending the decision. He declined to comment on his protest.
“The bottom line here is I’ve cleanly won the election, I am the congresswoman of third district,” Arenas said.
Arenas intends to run for a second term in May 2010.#
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