Friday, July 13, 2007 It’s Comelec Manila that picks probers; police team to help Bogo cops probe incidents
PROVINCIAL Election Supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano will recommend to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Manila to investigate the spurious election returns (ERs) uncovered from Bogo City.
“An investigation should be done so we would know who is responsible for this,” Castillano said.
Castillano said he will address his recommendation to Comelec Commissioner Resureccion Borra, who will decide who will conduct the investigation.
Castillano also said Bogo Election Officer Jose Menguez will also be asked to explain how the spurious and manufactured ERs got into the ballot boxes for the board of canvassers.
The Comelec Second Division has ruled that the 15 ERs from Bogo whose authenticity was questioned by the special board of canvassers were indeed “spurious and manufactured.”
Delayed
The issue on the authenticity of these ERs delayed the proclamation of the winning congressman and Provincial Board (PB) members of the fourth district of Cebu.
Using copies from the C-Cimpel, the Comelec was able to proceed with its canvassing.
Last Monday night, Benhur Salimbangon was finally proclaimed in Comelec Manila as the winning congressman with only a margin of 104 votes over Celestino “Tining” Martinez III.
PB Members Jose Mari Gastardo and Joven Mondigo Jr. have also been proclaimed but they failed to attend the proceedings.
Castillano also said that Special Board of Canvassers head Eddie Aba and Cebu City Election Officer Marchel Sarno will be filing a case with the Comelec law department in relation to the chaos that occurred in Bogo last Monday.
Aba issued an order for the retrieval of four election returns from Bogo that needed to be canvassed.
But Bogo City Mayor Celestino “Junie” Martinez Jr. said he would not honor Aba’s order and wanted an order from the Comelec en banc.
Martinez supporters prevented police and Sarno from leaving the City Hall grounds by blocking all exits with dump trucks and heavy equipment. They snatched a ballot box that Sarno was holding. Martinez supporters also mauled Sun.Star Cebu chief of photographers Alex Badayos who went after the people who snatched the ballot box, to take a photo.
Castillano said they are in close coordination with the police who escorted Sarno to Bogo. He said that based on the police investigation, they will be filing complaints against those who blocked the retrieval of the ballot boxes.
The law department will assess the complaint and will determine the appropriate charges to be filed.
It will then submit its recommendation to the Comelec en banc. The Comelec en banc will be the one to order the law department to file the proper charges with the Regional Trial Court in Cebu.
“The law department will act like the fiscal’s office,” Castillano said.
The Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO), meanwhile, has created a separate team to assist in the investigation of the incidents in Bogo City last Monday.
CPPO Director Carmelo Valmoria told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday that the team will assist the Bogo City Police Station in getting statements and locating witnesses who can identify those responsible for the mauling of Sun.Star chief photographer Alex Badayos and the snatching of a ballot box from Sarno.
The team is headed by Supt. Erson Digal, who was the district supervisor for the fourth district in the May 14 polls.
The creation of the team is meant to “expedite” the ongoing investigation.
“We already have names of those involved. What we need now is to support this with evidence,” Valmoria said.
Valmoria, Sarno and Bogo City Police Chief Arturo Pacifico will act as witnesses in the snatching of the ballot box.
Valmoria, however, wants to look for civilian witnesses to strengthen their case. (MBG/MEA)
