Wednesday, July 25, 2007 Outsider must lead investigation
POLL officials in the region have taken steps to trace the origin and the people involved in the inclusion of spurious elections returns from Bogo in the ballot boxes intended for the municipal board of canvassers.
Last Friday, Commission on Elections (Come-lec) 7 Regional Election Director Ray Rene Buac endorsed the recommendation of Provincial Election Supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano that an investigation be conducted to determine the origin and the people “responsible for the introduction of the spurious or fake election returns to our electoral process.”
Buac forwarded his recommendation to Comelec Commissioner Ressurec-cion Borra.
Castillano also recommended that a Comelec officer from outside Cebu Province should conduct the investigation “to have a perception of impartiality.”
Endorsement
But in his endorsement letter to Borra, Buac recommended that the investigating officer “has to come from outside Region 7 to avoid any claim of bias, with the fact that Comelec officials in the region were accused (in the media) of being in connivance with the perpetrators.”
Last month, the Comelec second division ruled that 15 election returns from Bogo were manufactured and spurious.
The question on the authenticity of the election returns from Bogo stalled the proclamation of Rep. Benhur Salimbangon (4th district) as the winner in the congressional race.
Salimbangon’s camp believes that the fake ERs were proof that he was cheated.
In relation to the controversy, the City of Bogo will have a new election officer starting today.
Election officer Jose Barriga was transferred from Catmon to Bogo while Bogo election officer Jose Menguez will be transferred to the Sogod poll office.
Earlier this month, Menguez asked to be relieved from Bogo after they were allegedly harassed by Bogo Mayor Celestino “Junie” Martinez.
In an incident report submitted to Castillano, Menguez said their office at the Bogo City Hal was ransacked, their power supply cut off and the doorknob of their office changed.
Menguez had also requested for a close-in bodyguard. (MBG)
