Saturday, October 27, 2007 Jailed village chief seeking reelection can't vote By Rhodamae M. Hernandez
THE Regional Trial Court denied the motion of a barangay captain jailed on accusation of parricide that he be allowed to vote during the October 29 elections.
Private prosecutor Rene Alexis Villarente opposed the motion of barangay captain Renie Lim of Upper Tamugan in Marilog District.
Lim is now detained at the Davao City Jail after he was accused of shooting dead his wife last February 2 in Los Amigos, Baguio District while they were on their way home. Villarente said the accused would have the opportunity to escape if allowed to vote in his barangay for he wields so much influence in Tamugan.
The prosecution also noted that Tamugan is a remote barangay and said to be rebel-infested. The accused can use the opportunity to escape.
Even if Lim will be guarded by personnel of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), the prosecution said the guards can easily be overwhelmed should there be a plot to free Lim, considering the distance and remoteness of the barangay.
Since it is election day, augmentation of guards will not be possible because the police and military forces will be occupied with keeping the whole exercise and not just one person safe.
It is bad economics for the court to allow government to spend and risk so much on a single vote especially that the accused was detained for the death of his wife.
The prosecution likewise pointed out that Lim is but one of several other detainees who will have to stay behind bars even though they are all registered voters. An argument that all other prisoners who have not yet been convicted can file similar motions will not stand since that will mean allowing all such prisoners to exercise their right to vote every elections.
Villarente said that Lim cannot be placed in the same league as Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Gregorio Honasan and Governor Nur Misuari, as he stated in his motion, because these people are behind bar for acts they made as patriots and freedom fighters in their own right and Lim is behind bars on the accusation that he murdered his wife.
In the motion, it stated that Lim is not prevented from voting; he is just prevented from going out of jail without first applying for and putting up bail.
Given the period remaining before Monday, and the fact that there are no courts open anyway between today and Monday, then applying for and putting up bail is impossible.
