Campaign pork: Mayor ousted for giving away pigs

MANILA, Philippines - Vote buying comes in many forms, including giving away pigs.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) used this as a basis to disqualify Benedict Calderon as mayor of Roxas, Isabela.

Calderon reportedly gave away hogs, sacks of rice and cash during the campaign ahead of the May 13 elections.

In a 12-page resolution dated Oct. 4, First Division presiding commissioner Lucenito Tagle and commissioner Christian Robert Lim granted the disqualification petition filed against Calderon by losing mayoralty bet Harry Soller.

Vice Mayor Servando Soriano will replace Calderon.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said Calderon has five days to file a motion for reconsideration.

The Comelec, however, rejected the disqualification of Calderon’s co-respondent, Isabela Rep. Ana Christina Go (2nd district) for lack of jurisdiction.

Soller sought the ouster of Calderon and Go for committing an election offense under the Omnibus Election Code.

He said Calderon distributed live pigs to several villages in the town “even during election ban.”

Soller also accused Calderon and Go of giving out P4,000 to P10,000 to voters and barangay officials “just to participate in soliciting and buying votes for them.”

The resolution showed Calderon also distributed sacks of rice to the senior citizens.

Calderon and Go, however, argued that Soller’s petition was premature, citing the case against them before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor that has not been resolved.

They also accused Soller of forum shopping.

Comelec, however, said there was no forum shopping in the filing of the case.

“We disagree with the above contention of respondents... A candidate may be disqualified if found by the commission on having committed an election offense. Hence, the commission need not wait for a final judgment from a competent court before it can rule on the disqualification case,” Comelec said.

The Comelec said the evidence submitted by Soller were sufficient to disqualify the respondents.

“It is unfortunate, however, that with respect to respondent Go, the commission has no more jurisdiction to resolve the case against her inasmuch as she had already been proclaimed, taken her oath and assumed office as a member of Congress,” Comelec said.

The Comelec said the complaints against Go would now fall under the jurisdiction of the House of Representative Electoral Tribunal.

The poll body has directed its Law Department to establish probable cause for the filing of election offense against Calderon before the courts.

The Comelec also directed the filing of an election offense against Antique Gov. Exequiel Javier, disqualified last month for illegally suspending a town mayor during the election period.

Brillantes said Comelec decided to uphold the recommendation of its Law Department that found probable cause to pursue the case against Javier.

“He (Javier) suspended a mayor despite the prohibition during the election period. He insisted that he still had the authority to do although we already told him otherwise,” Brillantes said.

He said the case against Javier would be filed before the regional trial court in Antique.

Javier had ordered the suspension of Valderrama town Mayor Mary Joyce Roquero on Jan. 23, 2013, during which time the election ban was already in effect.