THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday ordered Manila mayoral candidates Isko Moreno and Samuel Verzosa, and seven other local candidates to explain their alleged acts of vote buying and abuse of state resources.
Aside from Moreno and Versoza, the Comelec – Committee on Kontra Bigay also issued show cause orders against Dale Gonzalo Malapitan (mayor, Caloocan City), Richard Kho (governor, Masbate), Levito Baligod (congressman, Baybay City, Leyte), Marilou Baligod (mayor, Baybay City, Leyte), Julian Edward Coseteng (councilor, Quezon City), Jerry Jose (councilor, Villaverde, Nueva Vizcaya), and Anna Hernandez (provincial board member, Bulacan).
According to the poll body, they received reports that Moreno allegedly handed out P3,000 to public school teachers in Manila, while Verzosa gave away goods with his initials “SV.” Moreno and Verzosa are running against each other for the mayoral post in the city of Manila.
Coseteng, meanwhile, allegedly offered GCash prizes amounting to P500 to his constituents in Quezon City; and Malapitan supposedly gave away P3,225 in a covered court in Caloocan.
The Comelec said it got reports that Kho purportedly used government emergency alerts to broadcast names of his allied candidates in Masbate; Jose supposedly distributed live pigs in Villaverde town in Nueva Vizcaya; the Baligods reportedly held raffles in Baybay City, with the prizes bearing their names and faces; and Hernandez allegedly gave away dish racks, electric fans, rice, and shirts in Bulacan.
In an interview, Comelec – Committee on Kontra Bigay head Director Teopisto Elnas said their continued issuance of SCOs is proof that they are serious when it comes to incidents of vote buying and abuse of state resources.
“We just want to show everybody, both candidates and voters, that the Comelec is serious in its campaign against vote buying and abuse of state resources,” Elnas said.
BATANGAS
In another development, the Comelec suspendd the exemption to the election spending ban granted for eight social welfare projects of Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas amounting to over P273 million.
In its three-page Minute Resolution No. 25-0475, the Comelec en banc suspended the exemption based on the complaint filed by the civil society organization Progressive Allied Batangueños (PAB), which alleged that the exempted funds would supposedly be used by Mandanas for his political gains in relation to the May 12 polls.
The suspended projects include Aid to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) and Cash for Work (P16.71 million), Emergency Assistance Service under the 20% Development Fund (P23.1 million), Job Fair (P150,000), Employment Assistance Program (P800,000), Assistance for Youth Sports Activities (P32.46 million), Cash for Work for Victims of Typhoon Kristine and Taal Volcano Evacuees (P5 million), Hot Meals for Disaster Victims (P5 million); and Scholarship and Educational Assistance (P190 million).
The eight projects were previously granted exemption by the Comelec from the election spending prohibition.
In a letter to the Comelec, the PAB said: “We are very much concerned that the taxes we are paying might have only been used for his political gain, being one of the vice gubernatorial candidates in this election.”
“If he will be allowed to access these funds, there is a reasonable certainty that he will utilize the resources of the government in vote-buying – the evil sought to be prevented by existing election laws and relevant Comelec resolutions,” they added.
Aside from the suspension, the poll body also ordered an investigation into PAB’s allegations.
“The Law Department is hereby directed to conduct an investigation on the allegations of PAB, and to promptly submit its findings to the Commission en banc,” it said.
In an interview, Comelec chairman George Garcia said the suspension does not mean that there were irregularities in the public spending.
“All we are saying is that there are serious accusations and allegations, and we want to look into these matters,” he said.
