Ex-poll exec Guanzon: Let’s not vote for thieves, tax evaders
Former Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Controversial personality and former Commission on Elections Commissioner Rowena Guanzon has called on the people of her hometown province, Negros Occidental, to refrain from voting thieves and tax evaders.
This, while endorsing the presidential run of Vice President Leni Robredo. “My President is Leni Robredo,” she said in a tweet.
My President is Leni Robredo ! @ABSCBNNews @gmanews @rapplerdotcom @BomboRadyoNews @inquirerdotnet @DigicastNegros @visayanstar @P3PWD_PL @PhilstarNews @cnnphilippines @ANCALERTS pic.twitter.com/6AFpfpnxD0
— Rowena Guanzon (@rowena_guanzon) March 11, 2022
Prior to her tweet, Guanzon was called on to the stage during a campaign rally of Robredo and her running mate, vice-presidential candidate Senator Francis Pangilinan, in Sagay City.
She then asked the crowd if they would even vote for thieves and tax evaders.
“Coke lang ang iniinom ko hindi cocaine […] No to drugs, no to drugs [I’m only drinking Coke, not cocaine],” she said.
“Boboto ba kayo sa magnanakaw? Boboto ba kayo sa pangit? Boboto ba kayo sa sinungaling? Boboto ba kayo sa magnanakaw? Boboto kayo sa tax evader?” she asked, the audience responding in the negative.
(Are you going to vote for thieves? Are you going to vote for those who are ugly? Are you going to vote for liars? Are you going to vote for tax evaders?)
Guanzon then went on to ask people if they prefer a military rule to prevail after the 2022 national elections, to which the crowd responded “no” again.
“Gusto niyo ng martial law? Gusto mo ng martial law? Ayaw ko na, never again, never again. Mabuhay si Leni at si Kiko,” she said.
(Do you want martial law? I don’t want it, never again. Cheers to Leni and Kiko.)
Robredo and Pangilinan are running as a tandem, for president and vice president in the upcoming elections. Guanzon retired from the Comelec on February 2.
Photos and videos sent by the Office of Senator Risa Hontiveros also showed Guanzon leading the crowd in cheering for the said senator, who is seeking a return to the Senate.
Hontiveros is part of the Robredo-Pangilinan senatorial slate.
Guanzon attracted controversy before her retirement, as one of the cases she was handling was the petition for the disqualification of former senator Bongbong Marcos, who is also running for president in the 2022 national elections.
In an unprecedented move, the feisty Comelec commissioner released to the public her vote and opinion on the case, which was to disqualify Marcos for not being forthright in his certificate of candidacy (COC).
READ: Guanzon leaks her vote disqualifying Bongbong Marcos
Petitioners claim that Marcos did not mention in his COC that he was found guilty for failure to pay taxes.
Guanzon said she released her vote even if the final decision was not out yet because she claimed there were efforts to remove her vote from the process, by delaying the decision and waiting for her to retire first.
READ: Guanzon to Bongbong Marcos camp: How do you know I had ‘minority opinion’ on DQ cases?
READ: Guanzon: Senator behind Marcos DQ case delay ‘close’ to Duterte; to reveal name ‘in due time’
Marcos is currently the frontrunner in the presidential race, according to recent surveys. Last February, polling firm Pulse Asia said that Marcos got 60 percent of the votes if elections were held from January 19 to 24, 2022.
Only got 16 percent of the respondents picked Robredo.
