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Monday, March 21, 2005
Davao Sur solon, mayor told to answer poll charges
By Raquel C. Bagnol
* Representative Claude Bautista, Kiblawan Mayor Caminero accused of vote-buying in the May 2004 elections
THE Office of the Provincial Election Supervisor of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has directed government officials of Davao del Sur to answer charges of vote buying during the May elections last year.
Facing complaints for alleged violation of the Omnibus Election Code are Davao del Sur 2nd district Representative Claude Bautista, Mayor Jaime Caminero and his wife former mayor Conception Caminero of Kiblawan, Davao del Sur for allegedly distributing bribe money in a systematic vote buying during the conduct of the May 2004 elections.
Acting Davao del Sur provincial Comelec supervisor Marc Dominic Fernandez directed the respondents in a notification dated February 25 to submit their counter-affidavit within 10 days to answer the allegations.
Fernandez said that based on the complaint and other supporting documents, there is ground to proceed with the preliminary investigation.
In his complaint-affidavit, lawyer Dominador F. Carillo, president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Davao del Sur chapter, claimed that as early as April, 26, 2004, Bautista had been allegedly urging Jaime Caminero to pressure barangay captains and councilmen by allegedly paying them bribe money amounting to P3,000 and P1,000 respectively to vote for Bautista.
Carillo added that Bautista also allegedly promised the barangay officials to pay anyone with P20,000 if he or she can give zero vote for his opponent.
Carillo said this is a crime under the Election Code.
His complaint was supported by a barangay captain who claimed he refused the bribe money and another private individual who attested to Carillo's complaint by executing separate affidavits.
(March 21, 2005 issue)
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