Melo denies leaking Supreme Court ruling on poll automation

MANILA, Philippines - Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Jose Melo denied yesterday leaking the results of the Supreme Court (SC) vote upholding the legality of the P7.2-billion contract to automate next year’s elections.

Answering the allegations of the Concerned Citizens Movement, Melo told the SC he received information about the SC ruling from the media.

“I gave out no information not already known to the media about an alleged decision,” he said.

“I merely reacted to queries about a supposed decision, however, cautioning reporters who interviewed me that I could not say anything about an alleged decision in the absence of one already duly promulgated.”

Melo said two reporters asked about the ruling after the SC justices voted last Sept. 8.

Although he received a tip about the 11-3 voting, he did not relay it to the media, he added.

Melo submitted to the SC printed copies of two text messages he received from a reporter at 12:16 p.m. and 12:41 p.m:

“11-3-1 approved ang cmelec automtn” and “11-3-1 approved ng sc ang cmelec automatn. Dissents r Carpio, carpio-Morales n brion. On leave quisumbing.”

In separate phone interviews with two other reporters, Melo said he commented that if the news reports on the SC decision were true, he would welcome the development.

He was also surprised on learning that the story came out in a newspaper the next day, he added.

Melo said he later learned that the story on the SC ruling also came out in the website of ABS-CBN at 3:10 p.m. on Sept.8.

It was also aired over the radio station of the same network earlier, he added.

Melo said he would never leak a decision of the SC.

“I am a retired member of the Court, having served thereat for close to 10 years,” he said.

“I have sought to conduct myself worthy as one. Since this case started, I have not even gone to the Court’s premises… as I wanted no criticism whatsoever which may be cause for embarrassment.”

Police to name poll hot spots

Police will identify the election hotspots in December after the deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacy on Nov. 30.

Senior Superintendent Leonardo Espina, Philippine National Police spokesman, said before an area is considered an election hot spot, they will consider the following:

• The history of election-related violent incidents in past elections,

• The intensity of political rivalry between candidates,

• The possibility that private armies of contenders are making their rounds in the area, and

• The likelihood that there are communist rebels and terrorist groups in the area. 

“At the moment, we are just compiling information,” he said.

“But you can only get a factual basis after the last day of the filing of the certificates of candidacy.”          – Edu Punay, Mike Frialde