Ex-Cotabato poll exec stays as Abalos co-accused

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) ruled Wednesday to retain former South Cotabato provincial election supervisor (PES) Lilian Suan Radam as co-accused in electoral sabotage case of ex-Comelec chair Benjamin Abalos.

Commissioners Rene Sarmiento, Lucenito Tagle, Armando Velasco, and Elias Yusoph voted to retain the case against Radam, while Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes dissented.

Commissioner Christian Robert Lim did not participate in the proceedings as he had previously served as a legal counsel either for Radam or the other accused former North Cotabato provincial election supervisor Yogie Martirizar.

Brillantes said the commission, after lengthy discussions in an executive session, decided not to discharge Radam.

To recall, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima had said turning Radam and Martirizar into state witnesses will strengthen the case against Abalos.

The Comelec chairman said the commission has yet to decide on the fate of Martirizar but he believes the decision will most likely be similar.
 
Abalos, Martirizar and Radam are all facing electoral sabotage cases at the Pasay City Regional trial Court (RTC) over the alleged cheating operations in 2007 in North and South Cotabato. (HDT/Sunnex)