11 Navotas teachers beat poll neglect raps

The Malabon-Navotas Prosecutor’s Office yesterday junked the charges filed by former Malabon-Navotas congressman Federico Sandoval against 11 Navotas schoolteachers for offenses they allegedly committed as poll officers in the May 2007 elections.

Assistant City Prosecutor Lemuel Nobleza dismissed Sandoval’s complaint of dereliction of duty, saying he found no probable cause to indict the teachers.

“Probable cause requires not only sufficient evidence that an offense had been committed but evidence establishing the identity of the person who committed it,” Nobleza said.

He said Sandoval appeared to have based his complaint on the allegations made by his witnesses who claimed to have witnessed several poll offenses, but the allegations were never substantiated with independent evidence.

Sandoval filed 11 counts of dereliction of duty against the teachers last Oct. 23, saying it was only “the initial salvo” in a series of legal actions he plans to bring against those he believes committed widespread electoral fraud in the May 2007 polls.

The three-term congressman of the lone district of Malabon and Navotas ran for mayor under the Liberal Party in Navotas in the May 2007 polls but lost to incumbent Navotas City Mayor Toby Tiangco, now on his second term.

The accused teachers were assigned in public elementary schools in Barangays Navotas East, San Jose, San Roque, Bangkulasi and North Bay Boulevard South.  – Jerry Botial