MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Sunday issued a show cause order against Bustos, Bulacan Vice Mayor Martin Angeles in connection with several complaints of vote buying filed through the Commission’s Committee on Kontra Bigay.
In a one-page order signed by Numer P. Lobo, Comelec Regional Election Officer for Central Luzon, Angeles was given a non-extendible period of three days to explain why a complaint for election offense or a petition for disqualification should not be filed against him.
The order came with a stern warning that failure to comply would be considered a waiver of his right to be heard and the Comelec would proceed to hear the case based on the merit.
Among others, Angeles was ordered to explain the documented instances in the complaint that allegedly showed him giving away not only campaign materials weeks before the elections but also crisp P1,000 bills inserted inside his campaign paraphernalia.
In another instance, one of Angeles’ in-laws was seen tossing out money at a crowd watching a basketball game that his camp organized.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said that the Comelec would withhold the proclamation of candidates with pending complaints before the Commission.
Even if a candidate with pending cases won the election and was proclaimed, the Comelec can still file election offense cases which are punishable by perpetual disqualification from office and one to six years imprisonment, Garcia said.
He said that there were still a lot of vote buying and abuse of state resources cases pending before the poll body, and more complaints were expected after the May 12 polls.
Garcia called on the public to report incidents or violations of Comelec rules and guidelines.