BONTOC, Mountain Province – The Law Department of the Commission on elections (Comelec) ordered its regional election officer to conduct the required preliminary investigation on the election case filed by concerned voters of the province against members of the Provincial board of Canvassers (PBCOC) for violation of the pertinent provisions of the Omnibus Election code committed during the May 9, 2016 elections.
In a letter to Atty. Julius Torres, Comelec Regional Election Officer (REO) for the Cordillera, Atty. Maria Norena S. Tangaro-Casingal, Acting Director IV of the Law Department, ordered the concerned office to conduct the required preliminary investigation of the election offense filed by Salvador Liked and former Boardmember Francis Balisong against former Provincial election Supervisor Julia Elenita Tabangain-Capuyan, Provincial Prosecutor Golda Bagawi and Schools Division Superintendent Gloria Boya-ao, who were all members of the Provincial board of Canvassers (PBOC) during the May 9, 2016 elections.
Further, Casingal required the Torres to submit his recommendations to the Law Department of the poll body within 20 days after receipt of the affidavits and other pieces of evidence of the involved parties, which, in no case shall exceed 6 months from the receipt of the said order.
“You are further directed to submit the entire record of the case properly paged and with table of contents to the Law Department within five days from the rendition of the recommendation. You have the authority to delegate the same to any competent lawyer within your jurisdiction, with the obligation on your part to monitor the status and strict compliance on the deadlines,” Casingal stated on the order.
It can be recalled that Liked and Balisong filed separate election offense cases against the PBOC members for allegedly using the certificate of proclamation of the late Gov. Leonard G., Mayaen to reportedly proclaim her daughter Atty. Kathy Jyll Mayaen and for allegedly proceeding with the canvassing of votes for the substitute candidate even if the Commission en banc denied the certificate of candidacy of the younger Mayaen.
The complainants alleged that such actions of the PBOC members are reportedly in gross violation of the provisions of the Omnibus election code and other pertinent rules and regulations considering that the PBOC members used the canvassed votes of another for the proclamation of a person who has not been a candidate nor accepted as a substitute candidate.
The PBOC members are also facing separate administrative and criminal charges before the ombudsman for violations of the pertinent election laws, rules and regulations that resulted to the proclamation of the younger Mayaen as the Provincial |governor using the certificate of canvass of votes garnered by his father.
By Dexter A. See