Some winning bets face DQ cases for vote buying — Comelec
The Commission on Elections logo superimposed on the picture of its headquarters in Manila. INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Some winning candidates in the recently held polls are facing disqualification for committing alleged election-related offenses such as vote buying, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner George Garcia said Sunday.
Garcia however did not identify the bets who are facing disqualification cases.
“May mga kumandidato na nanalo, sa ating pagkakaalam, na mayroong kinakaharap na disqualification case dahil sa issue ng vote buying at sa issue ng election offense,” he said on TeleRadyo’s Balita.
(To my knowledge, there are candidates who won but are now facing disqualification cases because of vote buying and other election offenses.)
Garcia assured that even if the candidates have won, they can still be unseated.
“Ngayon po, ang tanong: Mahahabol niyo pa ba ‘yan kahit na sila ay nanalo na? Ay, opo naman…Just the same, tatanggalin at tatanggalin din namin ‘yung kandidato kahit nanalo na,” he pointed out.
(Now, the question is: Can we still go after them even if they already won? Of course…Just the same, we will remove the candidate despite their victory.)
The Comelec earlier endorsed to the Philippine National Police and to the Anti-Money Laundering Council cases of alleged vote-buying, and suspicious bank withdrawals, respectively.
As of May 19, the Comelec’s Task Force Kontra Bigay (Against Vote Buying) has received 933 complaints on their Facebook account and 88 valid complaints by e-mail.
The Comelec’s law department meanwhile got 73 reports, 50 of which have already been resolved.
