Comelec stand on Pacquiao upsets rival bets

SENATORIAL bet Walden Bello still wants the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to do something about the boxing match of another senatorial candidate, Manny Pacquiao, in the United States on April 9.

But the former Akbayan representative admitted that time was running out with only a few days before the widely anticipated match which he and former Sen. Rene Saguisag feared would give Pacquiao an undue advantage over his rival senatorial bets.

“I think we can say here that Pacquiao has knocked out the Comelec,” said Bello.

Pacquiao will be up against American Timothy Bradley.

Bello was upset about the Comelec’s inability to enforce the election rules.

“It is disgraceful for the Comelec to refuse to take a position and take action on a violation of its own rules. Comelec has … clearly been intimidated by the perceived unpopular nature of a decision to tell Pacquiao to desist from violating its own rules,” said Bello who complained that the nationally televised fight would give Pacquiao massive exposure in the middle of the campaign to the disadvantage of his rivals.

On Tuesday, Comelec Chair Andres Bautista announced that the commission en banc unanimously decided to allow the fight to push through because there was no formal complaint filed. The fight has yet to take place and there is no violation to speak of.