Ex-congressman Eladio Jala Wednesday took the cudgels for his son Adam Relson who was accused of winning the third district congressional derby by his closest rival under “doubtful circumstances'. The younger Jala won by the skin of his teeth in the third district congressional fight over former governor Rene Relampagos. For his part, Cong. Jala made his own denial about the charges of “dagdag-bawas” hurled by Relampagos, in an interview yesterday. Although he was not filing any post-proclamation protest against the victory of the younger Jala, the former governor came out with statements, albeit belatedly, about the alleged anomalies attending the last elections in the third district.

Relampagos said he just made it known that he was a victim of “dagdag-bawas” so that electoral reforms will be instituted in the coming polls, to prevent a repetition of the same. In downplaying the allegations on “dagdag-bawas” raised by the camp of his rival, Cong. Jala explained that in three months time after being proclaimed by the provincial board of canvassers, he has not received any notice from the electoral tribunal or any other courts informing about any election-related protest, especially the recent one that picked up media hype. He said he was just surprised why Relampagos just raised the issue now that he has already started doing his homework as a duly proclaimed representative of the third district.

Jala said the municipal election officer of Loay and Sierra-Bullones hold the authority on attesting that no irregularity that transpired during the elections. On the other hand, the rapport that his father had forged with Sierra-Bullones Mayor Simplicio Maestrado was just part of delivering official functions. And, it has nothing to do with his share in the political arena as he has to come up with his own rapport with the mayor other than what his father had forged though the former congressman can give him pieces of advice. The younger Jala came issued the statements following reports in the local newspapers, saying Relampagos alleged “dagdag-bawas” in Loay and Sierra-Bullones sideswept him to defeat in the last elections. In his allegations, the former governor reportedly said the results of the elections in the two towns were altered to the favor of Jala.

The former governor also alleged that election officers ignored documents that supposedly show the aberrations. Similar allegations cropped up when election results were still fresh which the younger Jala repeatedly denied. Recently, reports supporting the allegations had it that documents show that half of the members of the boards of election officers were changed shortly prior to the elections- -that is 28 percent of the chairmen, 33 percent of the poll clerks and 75 percent of the third members changed. The documents allegedly further show that in two of the six precincts of barangay Abacahan- -Mayor Maestrado's bailiwick, the entire composition of the Board of Election Officers were replaced, while in the remaining four precincts, two of the three members were changed.