MALASIQUI–No different from a political election.

The recent election for a seat in the board of the Central Pangasinan Electric Cooperative (Cenpelco), one of the biggest energy cooperatives in the country, was allegedly marred by fraud and massive cheating.

One of the candidates who lost, Alexis Mamaril, barangay chairman of Talospatang, has filed a petition before the National Electrification Administra tion (NEA) seeking the annulment of the results of the election held on August 16 for the alleged manipulation by this town’s mayor in favor of his son who won the voting.

Former Vice Governor Oscar Lambino also executed an affidavit in support of the petition, and told The PUNCH that Mamaril opted to go to the NEA on suspicion that Cenpelco officials were conniving with Domantay. Mayor Armand Domantay’s son, Eric Bryan Domantay, also a barangay chairman of the Poblacion, received more than 3,000 votes while Mamaril got about 2,000 votes. (Exact vote count was not available to the PUNCH at presstime).

The mayor, meanwhile, said CENPELCO has yet to receive a copy of the petition, which should have been filed at the district election committee within three days after proclamation of winners.

“But nothing was filed so it was deemed that the election was done honestly,” he told The PUNCH in a text message.

Mamaril claims that Cenpelco officials failed to undertake the required posting of a voters’ master list that would have informed consumers as to who were qualified to vote.

Lambino also said some unqualified persons or even dead persons were listed as having cast their votes.

He alleged that the mayor himself, voted more than once.

“It’s very glaring there was cheating. This reflects not only on the mayor but on Cenpelco management who connived with him,” Lambino said.

Cenpelco officials claimed they posted the master list in at least six conspicuous places prior to the election but this was denied by Mamaril’s camp who claimed they never saw a single list posted even as they went around to double check with members of the media.

Lambino, who once served as mayor of this town, said he also confronted the general manager, Josie Mandapat, about the absence of the list but Mandapat cited a certification issued by a priest, Father Abraham Esquig, that there was one masterlist posted inside a church premises.

Mamaril also alleged that the mayor went in and out of the polling precincts which is a violation of the rules of the election as only members of the election committee and watchers, Cenpelco representatives plus verified voters are allowed to do so.

“If you allow cheating even in a simple election such as what we had, how much more with the electric billing of your consumers?” Lambino said.

He added that they are also planning to file an administrative case against the mayor and Cenpelco verifiers including the teachers who issued ballots to the voters.#

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