THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday issued show cause orders to senatorial candidate Las Piñas Rep. Camille A. Villar and 4 other candidates running for local posts within the May 12 elections.
In a show cause order sent to reporters, the poll body said Ms. Villar “participated in activities that involve the distribution of prizes by the candidates or their supporters or by any person through which the names of the candidates are mentioned.”
It added that videos and photos of the event showed banners and signages of her bearing her name and image, together with the banners of Villar Group corporations.
The poll body had given Ms. Villar a non-extendible period of three (3) days from receipt to elucidate why she mustn’t be disqualified.
In a press release on Tuesday, Ms. Villar denied any allegation or insinuation of vote buying or every other election offense, explaining that the event took place on Feb. 9 before the official start of the campaign period.
Comelec has also issued show cause orders to 4 other candidates as a result of their alleged involvement in vote buying or using social welfare programs during campaign activities.
Amongst them were Palawan congressional candidate Abraham Mitra, Nueva Ecija congressional candidate Emersion Pascual, and Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro mayoral candidate and vice-mayoral candidate Edna Cantos Villas.
Article 12 of the Omnibus Election Code penalizes vote-buying and vote-selling with not lower than one 12 months to 6 years of imprisonment. — Adrian H. Halili
