Sen. Panfilo Lacson did an honorable act which honorable men should do.
He filed a complaint against Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez regarding the Justice Secretary’s recent controversial “incentives” for the province of Iloilo to give a 12-0 victory for the administration candidates. In short, what Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez did was simply “vote-buying” in any which way you look at it.
Criminal raps, disbarment sought vs DOJ chief
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez now faces criminal charges and a disbarment case over his recent statements about cash rewards for village chiefs and the death of US Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell.
Stressing public office is a public trust, opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson filed Monday graft charges against Gonzalez for the alleged P10,000 offer to village chiefs in Iloilo in exchange for 12-0 votes for administration senatorial bets.
Lawyer Ely Pamatong, meanwhile, lodged a disbarment complaint against Gonzalez before the Supreme Court over the justice chief’s “immoral statements” that Campbell was partly to blame for her death.
Lacson said he is filing the case as his civic duty to stop Gonzalez from “blatantly and arrogantly” violating the law.
“I’m filing this not as a senator but as a citizen. If we allow high officials to violate the law with impunity we are equally guilty. The Bible says that for evil to triumph, it takes just a few good men to do nothing. We’ve been a shame to other nations because our own officials violate the law,” he said in Filipino.
Lacson said he might file similar charges against other candidates who had made similar promises in past weeks, but not during the campaign period.
“There’s time for that. Once we get evidence after the elections I might file charges against them. But right now I don’t want to be accused of playing politics,” he said.
He also challenged Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez to act swiftly and fairly on his complaint, after filing the case before her office.
“On a larger perspective, said offer of Secretary Gonzalez will have a far-reaching effect as this will make the officials concerned and the public in general complacent and look the other way even in the face of massive cheating that will be committed just to ensure the victory of Team Unity candidates,” he said in his complaint.
He added it was clear that the promise of P10,000 was designed to influence barangay (village) officials to vote and to work doubly hard for a 12-0 vote in favor of Team Unity.
This, he said, was “an act which is tantamount to vote buying and punishable under the Omnibus Election Code.”
Worse, he said Gonzalez remained defiant and claimed he did nothing wrong, by claiming non-candidates are not prohibited from buying votes, and that the funds will come from his own pocket anyway.
“Public office is a public trust. Public officers and employees must at all times be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty and efficiency, act with patriotism and justice and lead modest lives,” he said.
Lacson pointed out that Gonzalez’s acts constitute the crime of attempted corruption of public officials penalized under Article 212 in relation to Article 6 (Consummated, Frustrated and Attempted Felonies) of the Revised Penal Code.
The provision penalizes “any person who shall have made the offers or promises or given the gifts of presents.”
He added Gonzalez is liable for violating Section 3(a) of the Anti-Graft Law, which punishes “persuading, inducing or influencing another public officer to perform an act constituting a violation of rules and regulations.”
Meanwhile, Pamatong likened Gonzalez to a rampaging “elephant” with a loose tongue, dzBB radio said.
In seeking Gonzalez’s disbarment, Pamatong said the Supreme Court was the proper entity to punish the justice chief since the latter was the highest prosecutor in the government.
Gonzalez earlier said Campbell was a “little irresponsible” for walking alone at the mountain trail in Batad village at Banaue, Ifugao on April 8.
Campbell was bludgeoned to death by a 25-year-old woodcarver who claimed he mistook the American volunteer as his enemy in the same village. - GMANews.TV
Showing posts with label raul gonzalez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label raul gonzalez. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
DOJ's Gonzalez faces Comelec probe for vote-buying attempt
(How can Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez be a "Justice Secretary" when he always commits injustices and violate the law?)
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez is facing an investigation by the Commission on Elections for saying he will give P10,000-cash incentives to Iloilo village officials who could deliver a 12-0 victory for administration senatorial candidates.
“I have given instruction to our law department [to launch an investigation]. If he (Gonzalez) has violated the law then it would file charges against him," Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. said Wednesday at the Quijano de Manila forum at the Cherry Blossom Hotel in Malate, Manila.
Abalos and other poll officials earlier declined to comment on the matter, saying the issue could turn into an explosive case.
In a turnaround, the poll chairman said they might invite Gonzalez to explain his controversial statement.
In that interview, the justice secretary said he will give Iloilo village officials a P10,000 cash incentive each to ensure a landslide victory of the administration’s Team Unity.
He said he is not buying the votes of village officials, claiming he would be using his personal funds and not his office’s to boost TU’s bid.
“It’s a prize, an incentive for them to work harder," Gonzalez said. “This is my personal contribution to Team Unity. [I have plenty of cash]. Do you want to borrow?"
Gonzalez added: “When I give money, I can say from which safe it came from. Isang harvest lang iyan ng misis ko sa kanyang manukan (It’s one small harvest from my wife’s chicken farm)."
Under Article 22 of the Omnibus Election Code “any person who gives, offers, or promises money or anything of value, gives or promises any office or employment" to “induce anyone or the public in general to vote for or against any candidate" could be liable for vote-buying and selling.
“It could be a reward for campaign workers for a job well done, but still we would look into the case to determine the real context of his statement," Abalos explained.
He, however, added that Cabinet officials are not violating any election law if they support a candidate as long as they do not use their office and buy votes to ensure the victory of their bets.
Meanwhile, lawyer Alioden Dalaig, chief of the Comelec’s law department, said political parties can give their campaign managers incentives to encourage them to religiously campaign for their candidates.
These campaign managers, according to him, include village officials.
“They are not violating or being partisan because we are not holding the barangay [village] elections, therefore they are allowed to campaign," Dalaig said.
The Comelec earlier issued a resolution barring barangay officials from polling precincts on Election Day because this is a “partisan" act. This resolution was used as basis by the poll body to require Jose Concepcion, former chairman of the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel), to step down as prerequisite to the approval of the poll watchdog’s accreditation for operation quick count.
TU defends Gonzalez
Meanwhile, TU senatorial bets defended embattled Gonzalez from accusations of vote-buying.
In a press briefing in Iba, Zambales, former senator Vicente Sotto III said there is nothing wrong with Gonzalez' offer of a prize to village officials.
"If he (Gonzalez) was talking to voters and he offered them such rewards in exchange for a 12-0 vote, that is vote-buying," Sotto said.
"But since he was talking only to barangay officials, who can be considered campaign leaders of the administration, that is only an incentive, so that they would work hard to campaign for the administration bets," Sotto said.
Zambales Gov. Vic Magsaysay said since Gonzalez offer to barangay officials would only be realized after the elections--if indeed the local leaders delivered the votes--it could not be considered an election offense.
Former senator Tessie Aquino Oreta said that many of those who are criticizing Gonzalez could in fact be doing the same thing, although she refused to name anybody in particular.
"I, for my part, do offer incentives to my campaign managers so that they would work harder to promote my candidacy. I believe other candidates are doing it, too," Sotto said.
In a radio interview, election lawyer Romulo Macalintal also said it might be very difficult to prove that the DOJ chief's offer constitute the election offense of vote-buying.
"It must be proven that the voter had in fact voted for the candidates being supported by the one giving the offer, just because of such a deal," he said.
However, Macalintal said that Gonzalez should have been more circumspect because such statement could provoke charges of vote-buying.
There were reports that some leaders in the administration are calling for Malacanang to impose a "gag order" on Gonzalez because his controversial statements are giving the opposition the ammunition against administration bets.
Gonzalez, ever defiant, was quoted in the reports as saying that if Malacañang gags him, he would not host the Team Unity rally in Iloilo City, his bailiwick. - GMANews.TV
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez is facing an investigation by the Commission on Elections for saying he will give P10,000-cash incentives to Iloilo village officials who could deliver a 12-0 victory for administration senatorial candidates.
“I have given instruction to our law department [to launch an investigation]. If he (Gonzalez) has violated the law then it would file charges against him," Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. said Wednesday at the Quijano de Manila forum at the Cherry Blossom Hotel in Malate, Manila.
Abalos and other poll officials earlier declined to comment on the matter, saying the issue could turn into an explosive case.
In a turnaround, the poll chairman said they might invite Gonzalez to explain his controversial statement.
In that interview, the justice secretary said he will give Iloilo village officials a P10,000 cash incentive each to ensure a landslide victory of the administration’s Team Unity.
He said he is not buying the votes of village officials, claiming he would be using his personal funds and not his office’s to boost TU’s bid.
“It’s a prize, an incentive for them to work harder," Gonzalez said. “This is my personal contribution to Team Unity. [I have plenty of cash]. Do you want to borrow?"
Gonzalez added: “When I give money, I can say from which safe it came from. Isang harvest lang iyan ng misis ko sa kanyang manukan (It’s one small harvest from my wife’s chicken farm)."
Under Article 22 of the Omnibus Election Code “any person who gives, offers, or promises money or anything of value, gives or promises any office or employment" to “induce anyone or the public in general to vote for or against any candidate" could be liable for vote-buying and selling.
“It could be a reward for campaign workers for a job well done, but still we would look into the case to determine the real context of his statement," Abalos explained.
He, however, added that Cabinet officials are not violating any election law if they support a candidate as long as they do not use their office and buy votes to ensure the victory of their bets.
Meanwhile, lawyer Alioden Dalaig, chief of the Comelec’s law department, said political parties can give their campaign managers incentives to encourage them to religiously campaign for their candidates.
These campaign managers, according to him, include village officials.
“They are not violating or being partisan because we are not holding the barangay [village] elections, therefore they are allowed to campaign," Dalaig said.
The Comelec earlier issued a resolution barring barangay officials from polling precincts on Election Day because this is a “partisan" act. This resolution was used as basis by the poll body to require Jose Concepcion, former chairman of the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel), to step down as prerequisite to the approval of the poll watchdog’s accreditation for operation quick count.
TU defends Gonzalez
Meanwhile, TU senatorial bets defended embattled Gonzalez from accusations of vote-buying.
In a press briefing in Iba, Zambales, former senator Vicente Sotto III said there is nothing wrong with Gonzalez' offer of a prize to village officials.
"If he (Gonzalez) was talking to voters and he offered them such rewards in exchange for a 12-0 vote, that is vote-buying," Sotto said.
"But since he was talking only to barangay officials, who can be considered campaign leaders of the administration, that is only an incentive, so that they would work hard to campaign for the administration bets," Sotto said.
Zambales Gov. Vic Magsaysay said since Gonzalez offer to barangay officials would only be realized after the elections--if indeed the local leaders delivered the votes--it could not be considered an election offense.
Former senator Tessie Aquino Oreta said that many of those who are criticizing Gonzalez could in fact be doing the same thing, although she refused to name anybody in particular.
"I, for my part, do offer incentives to my campaign managers so that they would work harder to promote my candidacy. I believe other candidates are doing it, too," Sotto said.
In a radio interview, election lawyer Romulo Macalintal also said it might be very difficult to prove that the DOJ chief's offer constitute the election offense of vote-buying.
"It must be proven that the voter had in fact voted for the candidates being supported by the one giving the offer, just because of such a deal," he said.
However, Macalintal said that Gonzalez should have been more circumspect because such statement could provoke charges of vote-buying.
There were reports that some leaders in the administration are calling for Malacanang to impose a "gag order" on Gonzalez because his controversial statements are giving the opposition the ammunition against administration bets.
Gonzalez, ever defiant, was quoted in the reports as saying that if Malacañang gags him, he would not host the Team Unity rally in Iloilo City, his bailiwick. - GMANews.TV
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