BONTOC, Mountain Province – The Volunteers Against Corruption (VAC) here brought to the attention of President Rodrigo Duterte the alleged snail-paced decision-making in the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).
In his letter to president Duterte dated January 9, 2017, Salvador Liked, VAC official and an anti-corruption advocate in the province, criticized the decision of the law department of the COMELEC to bring back to zero the election case he filed against members of the Provincial Board of Canvassers (PBOC) for proceeding with the canvassing of votes and subsequently proclaiming a substitute for the position of provincial governor whose certificate of candidacy was rejected by the Commission en banc prior to the May 9, 2016 elections.
Included in the complaint for gross violation of the pertinent provisions of the Omnibus Election Code is former Provincial Election Supervisor Julia Elenita Tabangin Capuyan, Provincial Prosecutor Golda Calaoa-Bagawi and Division Schools Superintedent Glorya Boya-ao after they decided to proclaim lawyer Kathy Jyll G. Mayaen as the winning gubernatorial candidate during the elections even if the Commission en banc denied her supposed substitute certificate of candidacy.
Liked claimed after all the issues were heard by the legal department and the case was submitted for resolution, he was shocked to receive a letter from Acting Director John Rex C. Laudiangco, Acting Director III of the law department dated December 8, 2016, informing him that the case he filed is still undergoing preliminary investigation, review, and evaluation for purposes of recommendation instead of resolving the case, meaning the case will go back to zero.
“I am supporting your legacy that we could complain about corrupt government officials, in particular, those in the COMELEC who are very slow in making decisions, especially if the personnel being complained against is an ally of the dilawan and that they are very selective in prosecuting cases,” Liked stressed.
Earlier on August 2, 2016, the Comelec law department issued to the respondents of the case the appropriate summons and commanded them to appear before Lawyer Shemidah G. Cadiz, at the office of the law department on September 22, 2016, to attend and testify during the said hearing.
According to Liked, he made a follow-up on October 18, 2016 and he was informed him that the poll body received the comment to the comments on the counter-affidavit filed by the respondents and that the said pleading will be included in the evaluation of the case after which, and the issues having been joined, the case shall be deemed submitted for resolution.
Liked claimed it will be injustice on the part of the people of Mountain Province if the decision and resolution of the case are delayed because of the obvious and alleged maneuverings by some of the parties to make the decision favourable to them.
By HENT