Remulla disqualification sought over vote-buying

Former Cavite Gov. Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla Jr.

MANILA, Philippines — A petition seeking to disqualify former Cavite Gov. Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla Jr. from the gubernatorial race was filed in the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday, citing his camp’s alleged involvement in vote-buying during a campaign rally in Bacoor City on May 4.

The police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) arrested 10 people, said to be Remulla’s supporters, who were “caught in the act” of distributing brown envelopes shortly after the rally at Barangay Zapote 5 in Bacoor.

‘Last-ditch effort’

The envelopes were found to contain P200 bills amounting to a total of P75,800.

Another P83,500 was seized, along with campaign wristbands and two shirts, which bore the names of Remulla and Jolo Revilla, his running mate.

Remulla called the complaint, filed by one Efepania Sunico, a “desperate move” and a “last-ditch effort” by his political opponents to ease him out just days before the May 13 elections.

‘Reward’

Sunico’s complaint came a day after the city prosecutors’ office in Bacoor “released for further investigation” Remulla’s 10 supporters.

Police Lt. Col. Ricky Neron, CIDG chief in Cavite and whose office led the arrest on May 4, however, said they would wait for the prosecutor to schedule a preliminary hearing.

In a nine-page petition filed at the Comelec office in Manila, Sunico, who claimed to be a Cavite voter, said that before the May 4 program, Remulla’s campaign coordinators had asked the crowd to queue for the distribution of “wristbands or paper bracelets.”

She said the recipients were enticed to attend the campaign rally in exchange for a “reward.”

“It bears to note that the giving by the respondent of wristbands with a promise of reward is a clear act of vote-buying equivalent to giving material consideration to influence the voters of Cavite to vote for him,” the petition said.

Vote-buying is considered an election offense, which carries the penalty of one to six years imprisonment, removal of right to vote and disqualification to hold public office.

Transpo allowance

Remulla said the money recovered from his volunteers was meant for transportation allowance of their supporters, who also volunteered to be watchers on Election Day.

“I am not afraid (of the case). There is a process for this and I will have a day in court,” he said.

Remulla, whose family in 2016 supported President Duterte, is running against another former Cavite governor, Erineo “Ayong” Maliksi, of the Liberal Party.

Bias

When asked if he knew Sunico, Remulla said he did not. “But there’s something fishy here,” he said.

Remulla said his camp reported to the Cavite police an alleged vote-buying at Maliksi’s farm in Imus City on Tuesday, “but they did not lift a finger.”

“We smell police bias,” he added.