ANGELES CITY, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Second Division temporary stopped the opening of more ballot boxes in the recount to settle the mayorship of this city, it was learned yesterday.

The suspension of the recount was allegedly due to the massive number of spoiled ballots and discrepancies between the Election Returns and physical count.

The manual recount was being done in relation to the protest filed by former Mayor Francis Nepomuceno against Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan.

As this developed, Pamintuan said on Monday that the manual recount is now on-going at the Comelec’s Second Division involving 37 priority precincts – which were earlier determined by the Nepomuceno camp – out of the 185 contested precincts.

So far, four ballot boxes have been opened. And there is an indication that cheating had indeed occurred, Pamintuan said.

“Yes cheating has indeed occurred, as indicated from the opening of four ballot boxes,” the mayor said.

But he clarified that the cheating has apparently occurred after the elections, during and within the 46 days that former Mayor Nepomuceno was still in office after his defeat.