Comelec mulls another poll sabotage case vs Arroyo

MANILA, Philippines—Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo may or may not be included in the electoral sabotage case set to be filed next week in connection with the alleged rigging of election results in North and South Cotabato in 2007, Commission on Elections chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said on Sunday.

“It’s not sure yet. She may be included or she may not be included. It depends on the final review of the documents because [her involvement] was somewhat not clearly pinpointed,” Brillantes told reporters in an interview.

“It’s only possible [that she will not be charged], because the case is not that strong unlike in the Maguindanao case [filed before the Pasay City court by the Comelec against Arroyo on November 18]. But she can be included because of what the two witnesses are saying,” he added.

Brillantes was referring to the affidavits of former provincial election supervisors for South and North Cotabato, respectively, Lilian Suan-Radam and Yogi Martirizar, who claimed last September that they were ordered by then Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. to ensure a 12-0 sweep of the Arroyo administration’s senatorial slate in their provinces.

Under Abalos’ term, Radam and Martirazar were sued for electoral sabotage before the Pasay court but the two said the cases were a mere “’smokescreen” to cover up the involvement of the then Comelec chief.

Radam and Martirazar said they received instructions to alter the election results in their provinces from “handlers” from the military intelligence, a Captain Peter Reyes and a Major Joey Lleaban, as well as then acting regional director Michael Abas.

“It is emphasized that the instructions (came) from the top, which we clearly understood to be the President,” Radam said in her affidavit.

When asked, Brillantes declined to discuss how Comelec would go about filing the case, especially since Radam and Martirazar were earlier charged of electoral sabotage four years ago but have applied to become state witnesses.

However, the Comelec chief said he was “almost sure” about the filing of charges against Abalos and the other officials named by Radam and Martirazar after the deliberation and voting on the case by the Comelec en banc on Tuesday.

The case was prepared by the joint Department of Justice-Comelec fact-finding team and preliminary investigation panel.

“We will file the case depending on the result of the voting [at the en banc session],” Brillantes said.