UNA urged to file complaints

COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. urged the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) to report the alleged use of government resources to sabotage the latter's political rallies.

Brillantes said UNA may file formal complaints before Comelec if it believes that Team PNoy, a coalition led by the ruling Liberal Party of President Benigno Aquino III, is committing election offenses.

Earlier, UNA leader and Vice President Jejomar Binay questioned the timing of the government's distribution of PhilHealth cards and bags of rice in Cebu and Bohol, where UNA candidates had conducted their sorties.

But Team PNoy responded by advising UNA to bring its case before the Comelec instead of complaining before the media.

"If they have legal basis to back up their complaints, the Comelec's door is open. The Comelec has proven its independence in acting on election-related complaints," Team PNoy campaign spokesperson Miro Quimbo said earlier in a statement.

Miro said government activities cannot stop if only to give way to political rallies for the May 13 elections.

Brillantes said that should UNA files complaints against Team PNoy for election violations, the Comelec will resolve the matter based on its merits and the evidence presented. "Kung meron silang ebidensiya (If they have evidence), they come to us and we will hear based on the evidence," he said.

Brillantes added that the commission is willing to penalize anybody found guilty of committing election offenses. "It does not matter (if it is against President Benigno Aquino III), even against the Pope if necessary," he said.

The Comelec released recently a two-minute video, dubbed "Boy Bawal," highlighting the do's and don'ts during the campaign period.

The video lists campaign don'ts, such as, oversized posters, campaign materials posted in public vehicles, trees and public structures; vote buying, among others.

Brillantes appeared in the last part of the video urging public to report to Comelec any election violations.

The video will soon be aired in local television networks as part of the commission's public information dissemination on election related-concerns, said Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez. (HDT/Sunnex)