Abalos admits discrepancies in N. Cotabato poll results

MANILA, Philippines - Former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos admitted yesterday that there were discrepancies in the poll results in North Cotabato in the vote for senatorial candidates Juan Miguel Zubiri and Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III during the canvassing of votes after the 2007 midterm elections.

Abalos, however, clarified to Judge Jesus Mupas of the Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 112 that it was the Comelec he then headed which discovered the discrepancies that resulted in the investigation of the alleged cheating in North Cotabato.

“That’s why we filed cases against (lawyer Yogie) Martirizar (former chairman of the North Cotabato board of canvassers),” said Abalos, who showed a Comelec resolution that ordered the filing of charges against Martirizar.

Abalos made the comment after government prosecutors presented alleged original election documents, which were never submitted for canvassing after the election.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has presented Martirizar, a co-accused of Abalos in the electoral sabotage case in North Cotabato, to oppose the bail petition of the former Comelec chairman.

Abalos and co-accused Lilian Radam, former provincial election supervisor of South Cotabato, are facing separate charges of electoral sabotage in the South Cotabato polls that are now pending at the sala of Judge Eugenio de la Cruz of Pasay RTC branch 117.

De la Cruz has already granted Abalos bail but he was not released from detention pending the resolution of another petition for bail at the court of Judge Mupas, who is also handling the motion of Martirizar to discharge her as a co-accused and allow her to turn state witness.

During yesterday’s hearing, Abalos and his lawyer reiterated their continuing objection to having Martirizar as a witness in the bail hearing because she is not qualified as a state witness, being the most guilty among the accused.

Raps against Mayor Abalos shelved

Two DOJ prosecutors will no longer file criminal and administrative charges against Mandaluyong City Mayor Benhur Abalos for allegedly threatening prosecutors handling the poll fraud case against his father.

Senior Assistant Prosecutor Orlando Mariano and prosecution lawyer Mark Roland Estepa made the decision after Mayor Abalos issued a public apology.

The two prosecutors said they accepted the mayor’s apology that showed his “humility to recognize his lapse of proper decorum during the hearing of the electoral sabotage case of his father” and also his “character as a gentleman.”

“We see nothing but sincerity of Mayor Abalos and accept wholeheartedly his proffer of apology. We are elated that we can now put this matter behind us in the interest of the truth,” they said.