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Tuesday, February 17, 2004
Bro Eddie accuses Palace of plot to undermine his bid
MANILA -- Some personnel of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) are allegedly in cohorts with Malacaņang to ensure that votes intended for presidential candidate Eddie Villanueva will be nullified by declaring them as stray votes during the canvassing of elections results.
Jordan Pizarras, one of Villanueva's lawyers, made the accusation after two lawyers of the Comelec reportedly told employees of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that votes cast for Villanueva should be invalidated.
Pizarras identified Ma. Juana Valesa and Juan Corpuz Jr., both assigned at the office of Commissioner Florentino Tuason Jr., as those who told DFA employees that the votes for Villanueva should be nullified.
Tuason is the Comelec commissioner-in-charge of overseas absentee voting,
According to Pizarras, Valesa and Corpus conducted trainings for DFA employees last February 6 and 7 since the foreign affairs personnel will act as members of the board of election inspectors (BEI) in the March 12 and April 11 elections for overseas voters.
He asked the Comelec to file administrative charges against the two lawyers.
Villanueva's camp earlier charged Malacanang of trying to destroy his candidacy after he declined to withdraw from the presidential race. The Jesus is Lord (JIL) movement was a major supporter of Arroyo when she took power in 2001.
Pizarras said the actions of Valesa and Corpuz were "anomalous" since a vote for Eddie Villanueva clearly points to only one candidate.
Valesa, in a telephone interview, said she and Corpuz indeed made the instructions but clarified that what they said is based on election laws.
Section 44, Paragraph F of Comelec Resolution 6466 states that a combination of the first and last name of two different candidates "shall not" be counted.
In the case of Villanueva, Valesa said "Eddie Villanueva" is a combination of Villanueva's surname and the first name of another presidential candidate
Eddie Gil, who is the standard-bearer of Isang Bansa Isang Diwa.
Valesa explained that only ballots containing the names "Bro. Eddie," "Bro. Eddie Villanueva" can only be counted.
She also said ballots containing the name "Eddie" would not be counted as Villanueva's vote but would be credited to Gil.
However, Villanueva's lawyers said the interpretation of the law is wrong and "uncalled for."
"There can be no mistaking that the first name Eddie is part of the nickname of Bro. Eddie while Villanueva is his stated surname. It cannot be a combination of the names of two different candidates," said Villanueva's lawyers in a statement.
The counsel of Villanueva likewise accused the Comelec of sitting on their petition to disqualify Gil and remove his political party from the list of accredited political groups since his participation in the presidential elections may prejudice the candidacy of the JIL leader.
Vallesa said Gil should not have been allowed to run in the first place since Gil failed to get 10 percent of the votes in the 2001 elections as prescribed by law to qualify him as a presidential candidate in the next elections.
The Comelec second division has yet to issue a ruling on Villanueva's two petitions even if other cases which were filed later than his have already been decided upon.
The second division is composed of Commissioners Mehol Sadain and Tuason Jr., while its chairman, Ralph Lantion, has already retired. Marie Neri
(February 17, 2004 issue)
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