Losing QC bets sue Mayor Bautista for vote-buying

A defeated mayoral candidate has accused Quezon City Mayor-elect Herbert Bautista, city administrator Aldrin Cuña and the Liberal Party of vote-buying and other election offenses, citing the distribution of money to voters on April 20 at the Amoranto Stadium.

Leon Peralta, leader of the Liga ng Eksplosibong Pagbabago, cited the incident in a 15-page complaint he filed in the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday. Also named as complainants were Henry Samonte and Allan Bantilo—who both lost in the vice mayoral race—along with Antonio Denosta and Miguel de Asis.

Peralta ran against Bautista under the Buklod National Political Party. In 2010, he ran for Congress and for a seat in the city council in 2013, losing both times. His group, the Liga ng Eksplosibong Pagbabago, described itself as a nongovernment organization inspired by President-elect Rodrigo Duterte.

“The complainants pray for due process via preliminary investigation and the filing of charges for the election offenses of brazen vote-buying and for other violations of election laws,” Peralta, et al. said in their petition.

Citing a news report on GMA’s “24 Oras,” the complainants alleged that attendees at the April 20 political event at Amoranto Stadium were given snacks and a brown envelope containing P1,000. Local officials, Bautista and other LP members were also present, they added.

They also said that the TV report quoted Cuña as saying that what took place was a “common political event that the Comelec has been tolerating since time immemorial.”

Reached by the Inquirer for comment, Cuña said they have yet to get a copy of the complaint. He also questioned the timing, wondering why Peralta filed the complaint just now when the elections occurred nearly two months ago.