Comelec Files Electoral Sabotage Charges vs Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday filed electoral sabotage charges against Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and other officials, which could be sufficient for the government to stop the former president travelling overseas as planned later on Friday.
Election Commission chairman Sixto Brillantes said election commissioners had voted, 5-2, to file the charges against Arroyo after an early morning meeting on Friday. The Comelec filed the electoral sabotage charges before the Pasay City Regional Trial Court, and immediately petitioned RTC Judge Jesus Mupas to issue a hold departure order against the former president. Also included in the charges were election official Lintang Bedol, and former Maguindanao official Andal Ampatuan Sr.
Also recommended charged with electoral sabotage were former Comelec Chair Benjamin Abalos Sr.; former Comelec Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer; former Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Alberto Agra; former Maguindanao provincial administrator Norie Unas; and former election supervisors Lilian Radham and Yogie Martirizar, and several others.
The Arroyos' lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, said in Filipino that he would be "surprised if the (hold departure order) is issued within the day", given the volume of material submitted by the Comelec. He suggested that any such order that can be issued so quickly could only be part of a larger political "script".
The Comelec charges came ahead of a special sitting of the Supreme Court to hear a government motion against its decision on Tuesday to issue a temporary restraining order on the government's travel ban on Arroyo and her husband.
Arroyo, president from 2001 to 2010, has faced allegations of electoral fraud and corruption but has not been formally charged.
Arroyo says she needs to travel overseas for medical treatment, but the government had placed a travel ban on Arroyo and her husband.
After the high court decision on Tuesday, Arroyo turned up at the airport in a wheelchair and her neck in a brace, aiming to fly overseas for medical treatment, but she and her husband were turned back.
- Source
Election Commission chairman Sixto Brillantes said election commissioners had voted, 5-2, to file the charges against Arroyo after an early morning meeting on Friday. The Comelec filed the electoral sabotage charges before the Pasay City Regional Trial Court, and immediately petitioned RTC Judge Jesus Mupas to issue a hold departure order against the former president. Also included in the charges were election official Lintang Bedol, and former Maguindanao official Andal Ampatuan Sr.
Also recommended charged with electoral sabotage were former Comelec Chair Benjamin Abalos Sr.; former Comelec Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer; former Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Alberto Agra; former Maguindanao provincial administrator Norie Unas; and former election supervisors Lilian Radham and Yogie Martirizar, and several others.
The Arroyos' lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, said in Filipino that he would be "surprised if the (hold departure order) is issued within the day", given the volume of material submitted by the Comelec. He suggested that any such order that can be issued so quickly could only be part of a larger political "script".
The Comelec charges came ahead of a special sitting of the Supreme Court to hear a government motion against its decision on Tuesday to issue a temporary restraining order on the government's travel ban on Arroyo and her husband.
Arroyo, president from 2001 to 2010, has faced allegations of electoral fraud and corruption but has not been formally charged.
Arroyo says she needs to travel overseas for medical treatment, but the government had placed a travel ban on Arroyo and her husband.
After the high court decision on Tuesday, Arroyo turned up at the airport in a wheelchair and her neck in a brace, aiming to fly overseas for medical treatment, but she and her husband were turned back.
- Source
0 comments:
Post a Comment