‘Airing of Pacquiao-Bradley fight abroad still violates election law’

MANILA, Philippines - Former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. yesterday said Rep. Manny Pacquiao may still be cited for an election offense even if his boxing match with American Timothy Bradley is not shown in the Philippines.

In a statement, Brillantes said that the Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2013 prohibits any person “to engage in partisan political activity abroad during the 30-day overseas voting period.”

He also noted the law states that “personal campaigning, the use of campaign materials, as well as the limits on campaign spending shall be governed by laws and regulations (of) the Philippines.”

“All of the above is intended to provide some guidance to (Pacquiao’s) lawyers who may have a different point of view as they may be taking some risk in advising Pacquiao to proceed with the fight on April 9 based on the claim that the fight will be outside of Philippine jurisdiction and, therefore, no liability would attach,” Brillantes explained.

 He earlier advised Pacquiao to reset the April 9 fight in Las Vegas until after the elections to avoid any legal repercussion.

Brillantes noted that the scheduled fight is about a month before May 9 elections but within the 30-day voting period for overseas absentee voters.

The media coverage “would surely provide him an enormous advantage over all other senatorial candidates,” Brillantes insisted.

Comelec earlier asked Pacquiao to comment on the letters of former Akbayan representative Walden Bello and former senator Rene Saguisag, who said the match would give Pacquiao an advantage.