Duterte to let Comelec probe alleged 2016 election irregularity—Roque

Malacañang on Wednesday vows to hold liable those involved in the alleged fraud in the 2016 national elections.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the administration would let Commission on Elections (Comelec) to conduct its own investigation first into fraud exposed by Senator Vicente Sotto III in a privilege speech on Tuesday.

“Hinahayaan na ng Presidente na mag-imbestiga muna ang Comelec at tingan natin kung meron ngang mga election violations na naganap,” Roque said in a press briefing in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

(The President will just let the Comelec to investigate and let’s see if there are election violations committed.)

“Ang preliminary investigation po ng mga election offenses ay nasa Law Department ng Comelec so susubaybayan po natin yan,” he added.

(The preliminary investigation of election offenses is at the Law Department of the Comelec so we will monitor that.)

In a privilege speech, Sotto said the widespread irregularity altered the results of the balloting in several polling precincts where many senators, including then presidential candidate Grace Poe and senators Panfilo Lacson and Juan Miguel Zubiri, got zero votes.

Sotto said there were six senators that benefited from the alleged cheating.

READ: Sotto seeks probe of poll fraud

Roque explained that if proven by the Senate, the mandate of those who gained from the fraud may not be voided because it is a congressional inquiry and not an electoral protest.

“Siguro po we will move forward papanagutin ang gumawa ng election offenses, pero hindi na po mabubura yung mga mandato na naibigay dahil wala po tayong election contest,” he said.

(We will move forward by holding those involved in the election offense accountable but their mandate will not be voided because it is not an election contest.)

The vice presidential and the 12th Senate seat are the only positions that are contested by Vice President Leni Robredo and former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., and detained Sen. Leila de Lima and Political Adviser Sec. Francis Tolentino, respectively. /je