|
Petition
claims COMELEC records were falsified
Certain
officials of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC)
are feeling slighted these days after a
disqualification petition claimed that COMELEC
records were tampered and falsified to allow an
alleged non-resident to file his candidacy for
governor.
The
petition filed by Lakas-NUCD-UMDP gubernatorial
bet Rep. Leandro B. Verceles, Jr. asked COMELEC
to declare Gregorio S. Verceles (Independent) as
a nuisance candidate, saying that aside from his
income as a mechanic, he has no other visible
source of income and is incapable of waging a
full-blown campaign for governor.
"If
ever he would present to the Commission a large
sum of money purportedly for his election
campaign," the petition said, "it
would only be `show money' handed over to him by
somebody who is interested that Gregorio S.
Verceles not be declared a nuisance
candidate."
The
petition averred that Verceles is not a bona
fide resident of Catanduanes, having
"fraudulently secured a Community Tax
Certificate and a Barangay Clearance in
connivance with unscrupulous barangay officials
of Palawig who are known to be close to
reelectionist Hector S. Sanchez (a Palawig
resident)."
It
added that the mechanic does not have any real
property in Catanduanes and that he rented a
house in the barangay only on Feb. 26, two days
before the deadline for the filing of
certificates of candidacy, to make it appear
that he is a resident of the province.
"The
records of the COMELEC regarding household
members per barangay were tampered and falsified
to make it appear that he is a bonafide resident
of Palawig when in truth, he is not," the
congressman's petition charged.
The
petition also identified Verceles as a worker of
Gov. Sanchez as he was sometimes seen inside the
premises of the Sanchez-owned Monte Cielo Mar
beach resort, repairing trucks and other heavy
equipment and leaving Catanduanes when the job
is over.
It
said that the only purpose of the mechanic in
running for governor is to render votes for
"Verceles" as stray and invalid votes,
considering that the congressman is not the
incumbent governor and not entitled to ballots
bearing "Verceles" only.
In
a similar petition, the outgoing solon also
sought the declaration of Romeo T. Torres, Jr.
as a nuisance candidate for the gubernatorial
post.
The
petition said that Torres, a close aide of Gov.
Hector S. Sanchez, has no visible source of
income and is incapable of waging a full-blown
campaign in the province, adding that somebody
is interested that Torres' candidacy remain
valid and that he be allowed to run under the
nickname "Kuya Jun."
It
alleged that Torres is in fact known by the
nickname "John" and only uses "Kuya
Jun" to confuse voters due to its
similarity with the "Jun" used by the
congressman.
|
