Crisologo faces vote-buying probe

MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City congressman and mayoralty candidate Vincent “Bingbong” Crisologo will be investigated for alleged vote buying and obstruction of justice, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced yesterday.

Crisologo was arrested on Sunday night after he intervened in a police operation against his supporters allegedly involved in vote buying in Barangay Bahay Toro.

 He was released from detention yesterday after charges of unjust vexation, direct assault upon persons of authority, obstruction of justice, disobedience and resisting arrest were filed against him before the city prosecutor’s office yesterday afternoon.

A complaint for violation of the Omnibus Election Code for alleged vote buying and selling was also filed against the lawmaker.

Assistant city prosecutor Felomina Apostol-Lopez said authorities failed to justify the arrest of Crisologo, his son Frederick William and 43 others.

“The complaint against them needs to be threshed out in a full-blown investigation,” Lopez said in a five-page resolution.

Crisologo cast his vote in Barangay Sta. Cruz following his release.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said Crisologo’s arrest would not affect his candidacy pending the result of the probe.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde defended police officers who apprehended Crisologo, saying his arrest was not politically motivated.

Albayalde dismissed Crisologo’s claim that the city police was being used for politics.

Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Brig. Gen. Joselito Esquivel Jr. slammed Crisologo for shouting profanities at his policemen.

Crisologo denied Esquivel’s allegation. But the lawmaker refused to answer when the police official challenged him to issue a denial under oath.

Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, National Capital Region Police Office director, said Crisologo apparently wanted media mileage after he refused to have his handcuffs removed, pointing out that there were a lot of media present at the time.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año ordered the removal of the handcuffs as a courtesy to the lawmaker.

Reports said Crisologo threatened police operatives at the site. 

“Crisologo himself was looking to be arrested. He threatened our policemen. Parang (As if) he was begging to be arrested with what he did,” Esquivel said.

The arrest of Crisologo without a warrant could be justified, according to Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra. 

Guevarra refuted the claim of Crisologo that his arrest was illegal due to the absence of a warrant. 

“A warrantless arrest is authorized whenever a criminal offense is being committed in the presence of an officer of the law. On this point there is no distinction between an ordinary criminal act and an election offense with a penal sanction,”Guevarra explained.

Renato Echas, 80, was the lone person caught with money at the alleged vote-buying site. Echas admitted that he received P800.

Crisologo’s camp denied there was vote buying at the site, saying it was an orientation for their poll watchers.  – With Sheila Crisostomo, Emmanuel Tupas, Edu Punay, Elizabeth Marcelo