CEBU CITY — Cebu governor-elect Pamela Baricuatro, through her legal team, officially filed her verified answer before the Commission on Elections (Comelec), calling on the poll body to immediately dismiss outgoing Governor Gwendolyn Garcia’s electoral protest due to lack of merit.
The team said it “respectfully asks the Comelec to dismiss outright and without further proceedings the election protest because it is insufficient in form and substance for failing to allege with particularity the fraud and anomaly in each and every contested precinct.”
They described Garcia’s protest as a nuisance suit, commentary, and an op-ed page of a tabloid.
“The Protestee (Baricuatro) has rewritten the political narrative of Cebu Province. A civic
leader with no name recall, no political pedigree or machinery, no access to government resources prevailed. She simply offered herself in service, and the people responded. Her victory is not just electoral; it is transformational,” Agra said.
The governor-elect’s office, in a statement, reiterated that this legal protest is part of the democratic process, meaning they will engage with full transparency and confidence in the institutions involved.
“We welcome this opportunity to reaffirm the legitimacy of our victory and the will of the people. We trust the Commission on Elections to resolve this swiftly and fairly. Our focus remains on delivering the promises of our mandate,” Baricuatro’s legal team said.
