MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) cannot do anything to stop candidates in the Oct. 25 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections from using jueteng money to run their campaign.
Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said existing laws do not empower the poll body to prevent the use of jueteng money in elections.
“If we don’t know where the funds are coming from then we don’t have the basis to say they are getting the money from jueteng. If we can’t prove it, we really can’t do anything about it,” he noted in a press briefing after the first command conference organized by the Comelec with the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) and Department of Education (DepEd).
However, Jimenez claimed that the poll body is hoping that by coming up with better laws, the issue could be addressed appropriately in future elections.
“This is one of the things that we said we are going to look to improve after the elections. It may need some type of legislative initiative. What is important is for us to find a more effective way of discovering the source of funding,” he said.
Among the issues raised in the meeting was the identification of “hotspots” during elections and the security concerns for public school teachers serving in polling precincts.
Director Benjamin Belarmino, PNP Deputy Chief for Operations, said they would review their previous election watch lists to determine this year’s election hotspots.
Belarmino added that the “normal seats of political struggle” in the country’s election history are Maguindanao, Abra and Masbate.
Another area where the Comelec is having problems is the Elections Bids and Awards Committee (Comelec-BAC) because its key members are backing out.
“They are withdrawing and invoking other tasks that they have to do in their respective departments,” said BAC chairman Ferdinand Rafanan said in an interview.
This week alone, Dindo Maglasang of the Election and Barangay Affairs Division and Jubil Surmieda of the Law Department quit their posts.
Maglasang was appointed head of the Technical Working Group while Surmieda was tapped as head of the Secretariat.
Prior to this, Rafanan noted that BAC had already lost two to four members.
The Comelec was forced to form a new BAC after the Office of the Ombudsman slapped a six-month suspension on former BAC members in connection with the P689-million ballot secrecy folder procurement project.
The Ombudsman is investigating the project as the folders were found to be too expensive at a cost of P320 each.
Rafanan assured the public that despite the delay, there is still time to procure the supplies needed in the upcoming synchronized polls. But the BAC may have to do away with public bidding in purchasing some of the materials.
DILG all eyes on jueteng
Meanwhile, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo has formed a special project group (SPG) to monitor the PNP’s accomplishments against jueteng, gambling, illegal drugs, and other forms of crimes.
Robredo said the SPG’s mission includes promoting peace and order, investigation, conducting raids and other functions as may be directed by the DILG secretary from time to time.
The SPG was created under Department Order No. 2010-775 dated Sept. 8, 2010 and will be composed of personnel from National Police Commission-Inspection, Monitoring, and Investigation Service and headed by Owen de Luna. – Cecille Suerte Felipe