Belgica asks Comelec to probe Poe, Roxas for vote buying

MANILA, Philippines - Senatorial candidate Greco Belgica on Tuesday filed a petition before the Commission on Elections for an investigation into alleged vote buying by the Liberal Party led by its standard-bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II and by presidential bet Sen. Grace Poe.

“Wherefore it is respectfully prayed to this Honorable Commission to create a body to conduct an investigation on the above-stated vote-buying scheme by the Liberal Party,” Belgica, a former Manila councilor, said in his petition.

Belgica said there are videos to prove his claims that  the two presidential candidates tried to buy votes.

The senatorial aspirant also said he is filing the petition through his own initiative as a registered voter and a taxpayer of the Philippines saying “it is the right of every citizen, voting or not, to report incidents in violation of any laws particularly those pertaining to election laws.”

He asked the commission “to conduct a cautious investigation on an untoward vote-buying scheme spearheaded by the Liberal Party to assuage the votes in favor of their standard-bearer Mar Roxas.”

Belgica said the investigation may lead to the disqualification of Poe and Roxas.

“Ito ay para himukin ang imbestigasyon sa vote buying na nakita sa hinagawa sa kampo ni Secretary Roxas at Senator Grace Poe. Hopefully, imbestigahan ng Comelec for potential disqualification,” Belgica told the reporters.

Belgica, the lead petitioner at the Supreme Court against the pork barrel system and the Disbursement Acceleration Program, is a known supporter of presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. He is also the chairman of Reform Coalition Philippines, a political watchdog calling for the restoration of security features in vote counting machines to be used in the May 9 elections.