South Cotabato poll exec charged with electoral sabotage

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has filed 11 counts of electoral sabotage against its former provincial election supervisor (PES) for South Cotabato for allegedly rigging the 2007 senatorial race.

The case puts to test election sabotage that was first introduced in Section 42 of Republic Act 9369 or the Election Automation Law of 2007.

Charged was lawyer Lilia Radam who acted as PES for South Cotabato during the 2007 mid-term polls.  

The case stemmed from the complaint filed with the Comelec by defeated senatorial candidate Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III who accused Radam of tampering election results.

“That on or about May 24, 2007, during the national canvassing of votes for senators in the May 14, 2007 elections, the accused, did then and there, willfully, unlawfully and feloniously tamper and increase the votes received by tampering and falsifying the Provincial Certificate of Canvass and the City/Municipal Statement of Votes, which she submitted to the National Board of Canvassers,” the charge sheet stated.

Records showed that the votes allegedly padded by Radam ranged from 43,000 to 119,000. Each of the 11 counts represent the 11 candidates affected by the vote-padding and vote-slashing.  

The nine candidates belonged to the then administration ticket Team Unity, namely Prospero Pichay, Michael Defensor, Tessie Aquino-Oreta, Ralph Recto, Joker Arroyo, Edgardo Angara, Vicente Sotto, Vicente Magsaysay, and Juan Miguel Zubiri, as well as Genuine Opposition bet Loren Legarda whose votes have all been padded.

Team Unity candidate Luis Chavit Singson, on the other hand, lost 14,671 votes because of the irregularity.

But in an interview, Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said the votes were set aside and were not canvassed so they did not affect the election results.

Brillantes said Radam’s case was the first time that the electoral sabotage aspect of the Election Automation Law was used in a criminal case.

Asked about Radam’s whereabouts, Brillantes said she had gone on “absence without official leave a long time ago.”

“I understand that the judge will have to review the information first before he issues a formal warrant of arrest against Radam. Once the warrant is issued, I guess, the search for her will begin,” he said.

Under the law, electoral sabotage may be filed against “any person or member of the board of election inspectors or board of canvassers who tampers, increases or decreases the votes received by a candidate in any election” on a large-scale basis.

Electoral sabotage is a non-bailable offense that is punishable with life imprisonment.