By Romeo Braceros Jr.

The Special Provincial Board of Canvassers of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) declared former governor Roel Degamo the legitimate victor in the province's May 2022 gubernatorial election on Monday, October 3, 2022.

Following his announcement on Monday, Degamo thanked his followers for their prayers and vowed to keep representing his constituents in a Facebook post.

Degamo was re-elected after the Comelec overturned the election of Negros Oriental Governor Pryde Henry Teves and settled a petition filed against a nuisance candidate.

Teves stated in his statement at the Provincial Capitol's flag-raising ceremony on Monday, October 3, that he would "honestly and gratefully accept without any form of resistance" whatever the Comelec's verdict would be.

Ruel Degamo was the name of the nuisance candidate Grego Gaudia used on the ballots for the May 9, 2022 election.

Gaudia's name was on the ballots in May 2022 after his lawyer submitted a petition despite being deemed a nuisance candidate in December 2021.

Despite receiving 49,039 votes in the May elections, the Comelec en banc upheld the Second Division's resolution from December 2021 designating Gaudia as Ruel Degamo a nuisance candidate.

As a result, Roel Degamo petitioned to be given the votes, which the Comelec ultimately approved.

Roel Degamo's overall vote total increased from 277,462 to 326,501 as a result of the transfer of votes obtained by the nuisance candidate.

After Comelec's revised decision had 29,604 more votes than Teves' total vote of 296,897.

However, according to an amended canvass by the Special Provincial Board of Canvassers, Teves received 301,319 votes, while Degamo received 331,726.