By Marie A. Surbano
From The Daily Tribune
Link: http://www.tribune.net.ph/
The act of omission on the part of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in its failure to decisively move to cleanse the voters’ list from multiple and dead registrants might cause a failure of elections that many presidential candidates have warned as a trigger for a civil revolt, Speaker Prospero Nograles said.
Nograles added while he believes that such a grim scenario “is nearly remote,” the Comelec seems to be providing a formula to stir civil chaos.
“While I don’t subscribe with this scenario, the Comelec’s lack of pro-active thinking is also very frustrating. It seems we only provided the Comelec billions of poll automation fund not to make the elections clean and credible but to make cheating faster and more efficient,” Nograles lamented.
Taking his cue from the findings of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting of more than 40,000 multiple, double and dead registrants in Davao City and Davao del Sur province, Nograles urged the Comelec to cleanse its voters’ list to avert the possibility of multiple voting.
He also filed a petition for mandamus before the Supreme Court to ask the high court to compel the Comelec to cleanse its voters’ list instead of relying on a so-called “watchlist” which the poll body said would be adequate to address the problem of illegal registrants.
Nograles particularly expressed worries over the estimate of the PPCRV of around 2.3 million up to 5 million illegal registrants which he said is a figure that “is enough to determine the outcome of the May 2010 elections particularly in the presidential and vice-presidential race.”
“These multiple or double registrants can make or unmake a presidential candidate if the Comelec will continue looking the other way instead of simply cleansing its voters’ list right away,” Nograles said.
In the local level, Nograles said that he is also very concerned because among those who were found to have registered more than once are Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s sister Jocelyn, son Sebastian, other relatives and vocal supporters.
Duterte is fielding his daughter Sara against Nograles for the mayoralty race in Davao City.
“The Comelec claims their Board of Election Inspectors can counter-check these multiple registrants but how can a simple BEI resist a person like Duterte who knows how to use terror to impose his will?” Nograles asked.
The Comelec, meanwhile, seemed all too sudden tightening rules against campaigning among government employees and threatened to recommend dismissal to a Customs agent who is actively campaigning for the presidential bid of former President Joseph Estrada.
It had not uttered a word on the blatant campaigning of government officials for other candidates particularly administration candidate Gilbert Teodoro.
Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer said Bureau of Customs agent Rommel Ofracio faces dismissal from public service for actively campaigning for Estrada.
Aside from dismissal, employees of the government will also be barred from running for any elective post if proven supporting or campaigning for any candidate or political party, Ferrer said.
Comelec law department director Ferdinand Rafanan said government employees are not allowed to endorse, support or campaign for any candidate for the May 10 polls.
“That is a violation because they should remain impartial,” Rafanan declared.
Rafanan said Article 9 of the Constitution stated that “no officer or employee in the civil service shall engage, directly or indirectly, in any electioneering or partisan political campaign.”
Likewise, Article 22 Sec. 261 (i) of the Omnibus Election Code states that “intervention of public officers and employees shall be guilty of an election offense.”
Similarly, Article 7 of OEC also stated that the Comelec “may relieve any officer or employee referred to in the preceding paragraph from the performance of his duties relating to electoral processes who violates the election law or fails to comply with its instructions, orders, decisions or rulings, and appoint his substitute. Upon recommendation of the Commission, the corresponding proper authority shall suspend or remove from office any or all of such officers or employees who may, after due process, be found guilty of such violation or failure.”
A complaint filed by National Press Club director Percy Lapid before the Comelec accused Ofracio of actively campaigning for Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) standard bearer Estrada.
In a two-page complaint, Lapid said Ofracio is guilty of electioneering and engaging in partisan political activities.
“He (Ofracio) has also been captured in television footage and newspaper publications while he is wearing the campaign shirt and at same time standing beside Mr. Estrada,” Lapid added.
Lapid also furnished the Customs bureau, particularly the offices of Intelligence Group deputy commissioner Jairus Paguntalan and Enforcement Group deputy commissioner Horacio Suansing, and the agency’s Human Resources Department, a copy of his complaint.
Rafanan said the law is clear stressing that “whatever your status is, casual, temporary or permanent employee” they are covered by the law adding that even they are off duty they will not be allowed to campaign or support any candidate.
From The Daily Tribune
Link: http://www.tribune.net.ph/
The act of omission on the part of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in its failure to decisively move to cleanse the voters’ list from multiple and dead registrants might cause a failure of elections that many presidential candidates have warned as a trigger for a civil revolt, Speaker Prospero Nograles said.
Nograles added while he believes that such a grim scenario “is nearly remote,” the Comelec seems to be providing a formula to stir civil chaos.
“While I don’t subscribe with this scenario, the Comelec’s lack of pro-active thinking is also very frustrating. It seems we only provided the Comelec billions of poll automation fund not to make the elections clean and credible but to make cheating faster and more efficient,” Nograles lamented.
Taking his cue from the findings of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting of more than 40,000 multiple, double and dead registrants in Davao City and Davao del Sur province, Nograles urged the Comelec to cleanse its voters’ list to avert the possibility of multiple voting.
He also filed a petition for mandamus before the Supreme Court to ask the high court to compel the Comelec to cleanse its voters’ list instead of relying on a so-called “watchlist” which the poll body said would be adequate to address the problem of illegal registrants.
Nograles particularly expressed worries over the estimate of the PPCRV of around 2.3 million up to 5 million illegal registrants which he said is a figure that “is enough to determine the outcome of the May 2010 elections particularly in the presidential and vice-presidential race.”
“These multiple or double registrants can make or unmake a presidential candidate if the Comelec will continue looking the other way instead of simply cleansing its voters’ list right away,” Nograles said.
In the local level, Nograles said that he is also very concerned because among those who were found to have registered more than once are Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s sister Jocelyn, son Sebastian, other relatives and vocal supporters.
Duterte is fielding his daughter Sara against Nograles for the mayoralty race in Davao City.
“The Comelec claims their Board of Election Inspectors can counter-check these multiple registrants but how can a simple BEI resist a person like Duterte who knows how to use terror to impose his will?” Nograles asked.
The Comelec, meanwhile, seemed all too sudden tightening rules against campaigning among government employees and threatened to recommend dismissal to a Customs agent who is actively campaigning for the presidential bid of former President Joseph Estrada.
It had not uttered a word on the blatant campaigning of government officials for other candidates particularly administration candidate Gilbert Teodoro.
Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer said Bureau of Customs agent Rommel Ofracio faces dismissal from public service for actively campaigning for Estrada.
Aside from dismissal, employees of the government will also be barred from running for any elective post if proven supporting or campaigning for any candidate or political party, Ferrer said.
Comelec law department director Ferdinand Rafanan said government employees are not allowed to endorse, support or campaign for any candidate for the May 10 polls.
“That is a violation because they should remain impartial,” Rafanan declared.
Rafanan said Article 9 of the Constitution stated that “no officer or employee in the civil service shall engage, directly or indirectly, in any electioneering or partisan political campaign.”
Likewise, Article 22 Sec. 261 (i) of the Omnibus Election Code states that “intervention of public officers and employees shall be guilty of an election offense.”
Similarly, Article 7 of OEC also stated that the Comelec “may relieve any officer or employee referred to in the preceding paragraph from the performance of his duties relating to electoral processes who violates the election law or fails to comply with its instructions, orders, decisions or rulings, and appoint his substitute. Upon recommendation of the Commission, the corresponding proper authority shall suspend or remove from office any or all of such officers or employees who may, after due process, be found guilty of such violation or failure.”
A complaint filed by National Press Club director Percy Lapid before the Comelec accused Ofracio of actively campaigning for Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) standard bearer Estrada.
In a two-page complaint, Lapid said Ofracio is guilty of electioneering and engaging in partisan political activities.
“He (Ofracio) has also been captured in television footage and newspaper publications while he is wearing the campaign shirt and at same time standing beside Mr. Estrada,” Lapid added.
Lapid also furnished the Customs bureau, particularly the offices of Intelligence Group deputy commissioner Jairus Paguntalan and Enforcement Group deputy commissioner Horacio Suansing, and the agency’s Human Resources Department, a copy of his complaint.
Rafanan said the law is clear stressing that “whatever your status is, casual, temporary or permanent employee” they are covered by the law adding that even they are off duty they will not be allowed to campaign or support any candidate.
“You are still a government employee even if it is a Saturday or Sunday,” Rafanan said.
He also warned civil servants from wearing election propagandas of the candidate as this is also considered an election offense.
The PMP, in turn, challenged the Comelec to exercise its constitutionally-mandated duty of ensuring the integrity of the electoral process by disqualifying any candidate who violates the Omnibus Election Code and its own implementing rules and regulations, including limits set on airtime for a candidate’s campaign ads.
“If the Comelec really wants to safeguard the sanctity of the elections, then it must fulfill its duty and do what the law states against those who abuse it,” said PMP spokesman Atty. Ralph Calinisan. “This is an acid test for our poll officials, and if they fail this one, then the results of the May 2010 national elections will forever be put in doubt.”
Calinisan’s statement came on the heels of a report recently presented by the advocacy group Pera at Pulitika, and based on data from the AGB Nielsen Media Research, which confirmed suspicions that Nacionalista Party (NP) standard bearer Sen. Manny Villar has already far exceeded his allotted airtime for TV campaign ads which has been logged at 2,054 minutes.
The same report also revealed that Villar has far outspent his other rivals for the presidency, shelling out P1.2-billion from Nov. 1, 2009 to Feb. 8, 2010.
“What we are seeing here is a clear case of using money not to promote one’s program of government but to purchase a quick ride to the presidency,” Calinisan remarked. “The Filipino electorate can see through this, and we are all calling on the Comelec to fulfill its mandate in this regard.”
Calinisan cited Section 11 of Comelec Resolution No. 8758, promulgated on 4 February 2010, which sets the duration of airtime that a candidate may avail of for his campaign: 120 minutes in television or cable television, and 180 minutes in radio.
The Omnibus Election Code, particularly Sec. 264 thereof, prescribes a penalty of disqualification for any electoral violation.
He also warned civil servants from wearing election propagandas of the candidate as this is also considered an election offense.
The PMP, in turn, challenged the Comelec to exercise its constitutionally-mandated duty of ensuring the integrity of the electoral process by disqualifying any candidate who violates the Omnibus Election Code and its own implementing rules and regulations, including limits set on airtime for a candidate’s campaign ads.
“If the Comelec really wants to safeguard the sanctity of the elections, then it must fulfill its duty and do what the law states against those who abuse it,” said PMP spokesman Atty. Ralph Calinisan. “This is an acid test for our poll officials, and if they fail this one, then the results of the May 2010 national elections will forever be put in doubt.”
Calinisan’s statement came on the heels of a report recently presented by the advocacy group Pera at Pulitika, and based on data from the AGB Nielsen Media Research, which confirmed suspicions that Nacionalista Party (NP) standard bearer Sen. Manny Villar has already far exceeded his allotted airtime for TV campaign ads which has been logged at 2,054 minutes.
The same report also revealed that Villar has far outspent his other rivals for the presidency, shelling out P1.2-billion from Nov. 1, 2009 to Feb. 8, 2010.
“What we are seeing here is a clear case of using money not to promote one’s program of government but to purchase a quick ride to the presidency,” Calinisan remarked. “The Filipino electorate can see through this, and we are all calling on the Comelec to fulfill its mandate in this regard.”
Calinisan cited Section 11 of Comelec Resolution No. 8758, promulgated on 4 February 2010, which sets the duration of airtime that a candidate may avail of for his campaign: 120 minutes in television or cable television, and 180 minutes in radio.
The Omnibus Election Code, particularly Sec. 264 thereof, prescribes a penalty of disqualification for any electoral violation.
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