Koko urges Comelec to charge Abalos with electoral sabotage

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III yesterday urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to file electoral sabotage charges against its former chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr.

“The Comelec should have charged Abalos two weeks ago,” Pimentel told reporters at the Diamond Hotel in Manila.

Pimentel noted the Comelec acted swiftly on the recommendation in the case of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The Pampanga lawmaker was charged with electoral sabotage on the same day the panel made the recommendation.

Also charged were former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. and former provincial elections supervisor Lintang Bedol.

“I see no reason why they can’t file charges against him (Abalos),” Pimentel said.

“They filed charges against the person who was indicted by only one witness. Abalos is being accused by two or three witnesses. Is it because Abalos is a former chairman of the Comelec? Is this a manifestation of ‘protect your own’ attitude in the Comelec, that is why there were no election offenses filed against its officials in the past decades,” he added.

Pimentel also urged the Department of Justice-Comelec investing panel to include other personalities allegedly involved in the rigging of the 2004 national elections and the 2007 race for the Senate, including resigned Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri.

“They should broaden their investigation on the alleged electoral sabotage,” he said.

Pimentel also denied reports that he and Zubiri will run under the same political party in the May 2013 elections.

“Categorically I will tell you Migz Zubiri is not welcome in the PDP-Laban because he is the person who deprived the party of its rightful seat in the Senate for four long years,” he said.

The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan or the PDP-Laban is a political party headed by Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Sen. Loren Legarda yesterday confirmed that she is running for her last term as senator under the party and that she is no longer seeking higher office. She said she had met with Binay on several occasions about the plan.

Binay headed the United Opposition under which Legarda ran for senator in 2007. 

PDP was founded in 1982 by Pimentel’s father and namesake Aquilino Pimentel Jr. with a group of oppositionists to the Marcos government.