Comelec wants to verify Annabelle’s P3M claim

If talent manager Annabelle Rama indeed made a P3 million donation to Team Rama, it should be reflected in Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama’s Statement of Election Contributions and Expenditures (SECE).

Rama’s failure to properly declare election contributions and expenditures could be grounds for perjury, Cebu City north district elections officer Dominic Ian Marigomen said yesterday.

“If there is a written complaint filed then I can forward it to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Manila. They can also designate a Cebu City representative to verify the complaint,” Marigomen said.

The mayor refused to comment on Annabelle’s P3 million donation claim, saying it is a family matter that should only be discussed among the Rama clan members.

“I would not want to be adding some statements. We will just leave it to us,” Rama said.

The re-elected mayor declared an election expense of P1.2 million in the SECE he submitted to Cebu City’s south district Comelec office yesterday.

As a procedure, Marigomen said the Comelec City office will forward the SECE to the Comelec’s campaign finance unit.

“We cannot just comment on the matter (on the P3 million donation by Annabelle) because we are not privy to it,” he said.

In her press release, Annabelle accused Mayor Rama of betrayal.

“The number one lesson I learned from running is don’t trust anyone except your immediate family, they should be the only people who will know about your plans for a successful candidacy,” she added.

Annabelle said the P3 million contribution she gave to the mayor was a donation at P1 million each from her children Ruffa, Raymond and Richard. Despite the contribution, she lost in the election.

She said what added to her irritation were reports that Team Rama watchers were only looking after votes cast for Mayor Rama and Vice Mayor-elect Edgar Labella.

Annabelle only got 35,842 votes in the election as compared to the 134,180 of incoming north district representative Raul del Mar.

She also blamed the mayor’s girlfriend, Atty. Jocelyn Pesquera, for her loss.

She said Pesquera was angry at her because she was jealous of singer Pops Fernandez who had a duet with Mayor Rama in one of their campaign sorties.

Mayor Rama is confident that he will be able to speak with Annabelle to clarify her concerns. Pesquera said she isn’t privy to the P3 million donation.

The lawyer and former councilor also expressed surprise to Annabelle’s claim that she was jealous of Fernandez, saying she was saddened by it.

“From the start I defended her. I even encouraged people to vote for her,” Pesquera told reporters. /Doris C. Bongcac and Edison delos Angeles