Pimentel asks Comelec to swiftly act on his disqualification case

Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. INQUIRER.net file photo / CATHY MIRANDA

Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Saturday called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to quickly decide on the pending disqualification case filed against him, saying the issue could be used by certain “political forces.”

“Dapat mabilis na nilang iresolve yan kasi habang pine-pending yan merong side na natutuwa. Malay mo ang purpose ng ang side na yun magkaroon lang ng pending na issue,” he said in an interview with radio station DWIZ.

(They should resolve that quickly because if it is still pending there is a side that is happy. Maybe the other side’s purpose only want to have an issue.)

“Siguro political forces are at work. Gusto lang nila gumawa ng issue para magamit sa politika pero legally, speaking alam na natin sagot diyan,” he added.

(I think political forces are at work. They just want to create an issue to use for politics but legally speaking, we already know the answer to that.)

Pimentel is currently facing a disqualification case on his senatorial bid for the 2019 elections, which was filed by Lawyer Ferdinand Topacio.

Topacio said that the senator already served two consecutive terms in the Senate, which is prohibited under the 1987 Constitution.

Topacio explained that Pimentel assumed his first term as senator in 2007. The National Board of Canvassers first proclaimed Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri as the 12th winning senator which led Pimentel to file an electoral protest against Zubiri.

In 2011, the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) ruled in favor of Pimentel which allowed him to continue Zubiri’s remaning two-year term. /jpv

READ: Disqualification case filed vs Koko Pimentel at Comelec