Third district congressional candidate Reynaldo Depasucat and board member bet Reynaldo Siason of the Liberal Party conceded defeat yesterday and thanked all those who believed in them.

I fought for an honorable office and lost honorably, I concede defeat with dignity, Depasucat said. Depasucat said he is thanking his supporters and those who voted for him because they believed in his cause of bringing about change in the third district.

His opponents resorted to massive vote-buying that included giving out from P150 to P1,000 to voters, Depasucat said.

This was revealed to me by people who were given money intended to buy their votes, he said.

He also said a barangay kagawad with armed men knocked on the doors of EB Magalona Mayor Alfonso Gamboa's supporters houses and gave them money to vote of Rep. Jose Carlos Lacson and mayoralty bet David Lacson at Hacienda Yolanda, Barangay San Jose.

He also said armed men stopped voters riding in a truck in Barangay Alacaygan, EB Magalona, and one voter in Hacienda Binun-an was manhandled by an armed group. Because many voters were told to stay home there was a low voter turn out at the polls, he said.

I thought idealism was enough under the present climate but I was wrong, money still prevails, he said.

Siason said he is number three in the poll count for the two board member seats of Negros Occidental and is thanking the people of the third district and his friends in the media for supporting him.

Although the Liberal Party of which he and Depasucat are members had no money and had few watchers, they got a lot of votes, he said.

Siason said he is not waiting for the count to be completed as he has no watchers in the precincts. He is conceding so he can proceed with his life, he added.

Leading in the race for the two board members seats of the third district of Negros Occidental are Frederick Ko and Patrick Lacson*CPG

back to top