Jorge Herrera Avila, a candidate for San Gabriel City Council, defended himself Wednesday during a rally outside city hall against accusations that his candidate statement intended to mislead voters.

Avila, along with Tony Ding, Jeanne Raya, Carina Rivera and Isela Lopez Bowles are on the ballot to fill two available City Council seats in the upcoming election.

About 20 people held signs and chanted in English and Chinese in front of the entrance to city hall on Ramona Street.

“No more lies!” the group chanted at one point. The signs included messages that read “Enough lies” and “Truth matters.”

“It pains me to see the lies and misinformation that has been spread about Jorge by some elected officials and members of the opposing campaign,” Avila’s wife Ting Xie said. “Those falsehoods are not only hurtful to our family but also undermine the values of fairness and decency that we all hold dear.”

Last week, members of the I-Chinese American Political Action Committee (IAPAC) spoke during public comment at the City Council meeting and held a news conference alleging that members of the Chinese American community were confused by the translation of Avila’s occupation on his candidate statement. In English it says Municipal Manager, which translates in Chinese to Municipal/City Manager.

IAPAC said it has endorsed Ding and Rivera.

The city of San Gabriel sent a letter to the county election office regarding the issue which included clarifying that Avila was not the San Gabriel city manager. On Wednesday, one of Avila’s supporters held up a blown-up printout of the county’s response to the city.

“Upon receipt of your letter expressing concern with the Chinese translation, we had certified translators re-review the translation and confirmed that the Chinese translation of ‘municipal manager’ in our Sample Ballot is accurate and that no error was made in the translation,” the county’s letter, dated Oct. 22, read. “Therefore, no further action will be taken regarding this translation.”

A poster at the center of the gathering highlighted one of the themes of the rally. It said that city resources “should not be used for political games.” Another poster included a photo of Avila’s business card from his previous job with “Municipal Manager” listed as the title.

Avila pointed to the city’s letter to the county and councilmembers sharing city statements about the translation on social media as validating the claims.

“Now more than ever we must rise above the negativity and stay focused on what matters,” Avila said. “San Gabriel is a city rich of diversity and I am proud to have deep connections with both the Asian and the Hispanic communities. These ties represent the strength of our city and when we stand together we are stronger than any challenge.”