Budac files poll protest vs Luego

The legal counsel of Mabini Councilor Jammaila Budac filed on Tuesday, May 20, an election protest against the municipality’s reelected mayor, Emerson “Em Em” Luego, due to irregularities during the May 12, 2025 elections.

The election protest, with a prayer for the issuance of a precautionary protection order and issuance of a writ of preliminary injunction with TRO and damages, has been submitted to the Regional Trial Court Branch 57 in Mabini, Davao de Oro.

According to Budac’s lawyer, Atty. Mark Tolentino, the protest is pursuant to election laws, rules, and jurisprudence — primarily under Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code — on the grounds of electoral fraud, misconduct, vote buying, harassment, electioneering, and other prohibited acts.

“We have filed a protest today due to irregularities during the election, such as vote buying, flying voters, and campaigning beyond the official campaign period — which supposedly ended last May 10. Some continued to campaign even on election day, especially those who are employees of the current municipal mayor,” Tolentino said.

The protest is asking the Regional Trial Court to nullify the proclaimed mayor and declare Budac the real mayor.

Tolentino claimed that the camp of Budac has gathered strong evidence of illegal activities by Luego’s camp, including videos and photos of “ninja” voters who masked themselves while voting in various precincts.

Tolentino also said there was massive vote buying during the election.

“Naay mga coupons nga ma-convert into cash (P1,500) nga gipanghatag nila (There were coupons that could be converted into cash),” the lawyer said.

Budac, meanwhile, explained that the protest isn’t only for her but for the majority of Mabinians who voted for her.

“Dili ni para sa ako, kundi akong gusto madungog sa tanan, labi na dinhi sa Mabini, kay kabalo ko kung unsa gyud ang naa sa inyong dughan, labina sa inyo mga hunahuna (The move is not for me, but what I want to do is to be heard, especially here in Mabini, because I know what you feel, especially what you think),” she said.

“Pipila sa inyo nangutana ngano mao to ang resulta? Kining akong gibuhat para gyud ni sa inyo. Kay kami, naay mapakita nga video ug kana tinood gyud nga nahitabo sa election—ug kana akong nakatingalahan ngano kana ang nahitabo sa atong election (Some of you were asking why the result was like that. What I’m doing now is for you. Because we have a video and that was indeed really happened during election, and that was what I was wondering why that happened in the election),” Budac said, referring to the alleged irregularities committed by Luego’s camp.

Budac also called out the teachers and authorities for allowing a dirty election to emerge.

Luego will be given five days to answer upon receipt of the protest.

Budac hopes that the truth shall prevail.

Meanwhile, Sunstar Davao reached out to Mayor-elect Luego, but as of press time, he has yet to release a statement on the matter. However, he posted a cryptic message on his Facebook page that reads “In silentio et in orationibus”, which means, in silence and in prayers. CEA with PR