A court junked the election protest filed by former Sigma mayor and losing mayoral candidate Christopher Andaya against incumbent Mayor Dante Rizal Eslabon over the results of the May 2025 elections.
The Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 21 based in Mambusao found that Andaya failed to submit documents to support the election protest he filed against Eslabon last year.
Official results by Commission on Elections (Comelec) showed Eslabon garnered 9,884 votes while Andaya got 9,778 votes. There was a margin of 106 votes.
In his election protest against Eslabon, Andaya questioned the results from two clustered precincts in Barangay Cogon and Barangay Pinamalatican.
But in a 43-page decision, Judge Rommel Leonor of RTC Branch 21 argued that Andaya would still not win even if the Comelec allowed a recount and all 56 votes were credited to Andaya in the two protested clustered precincts.
Andaya alleged irregularities during the election and cited possible negligence and misconduct by election officials.
Election protests are usually filed to challenge proclaimed results and can involve recounts and a review of election documents, with outcomes dependent on whether the protest can change the winning margin.
