Comelec commissioner handling Pe case was PNoy lawyer

CEBU, Philippines - Team Rama learned that one of the commissioners of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) assigned to hear the case filed against re-electionist Cebu City councilr Augustus Pe Jr. used to be one of the lawyers of President Aquino.

Cebu City Councilor Jose Daluz III, Team Rama’s campaign manager, challenged Commissioner Christian Lim, who also happened to be a Cebuano, to immediately resolve the petition to deny due course that Team Rama had filed against Pe.

Ronald “Raddy” Diola had filed the petition asking the Comelec to cancel the certificate of candidacy of Pe for councilor in the south district of Cebu City this coming May 13 local and national elections.

Daluz, a lawyer by profession, said it is very clear that Pe’s intention to run as councilor even in the south district of the city is no longer allowed by law.

Pe’s three terms for nine straight years as councilor of Cebu City’s north district will end on June 30, but he still filed a certificate of candidacy for councilor, this time in the south district.

According to Daluz, even if Pe’s filing of candidacy is for the south district, this would still be for the same city council.

“Kanang guideline nga kinahanglang dunay walo ka konsehal sa north district ug laing walo sa south district gitumong ra kana nga dunay fair representation sa mga konsehal diha sa city council apan ang isyu nga konsehal gihapon siya dinhi sa siyudad,” said Daluz. (The number of councilors from south and north districts was only meant to have fair representation. The issue is, he would still be councilor of the same council.)

Daluz said some of his friends in the Comelec told him that the petition to deny due course against certain candidates can be resolved in just two weeks after the submission of the case to resolution.

Team Rama also learned that Commissioner Lim, who has been assigned as ponente or the writer of the decision, is a graduate of Sacred Heart School where Cebu City South district Rep. Tomas R. Osmena studied.

“Wala ko moingon nga bias si Commissioner Lim sa iyang decision apan dili mawala ang akong kabalaka kay abogado siya sa Noy-Mar tandem sa 2010 elections,” said Daluz. (I’m not saying Lim is biased, but we have our apprehensions because he was the lawyer for the Noy-Mar tandem in the 2010 elections.)

Pe is running as councilor in the south under the Bando Osmena Pundok-Kauswagan (BOPK)-Liberal Party headed by President Aquino and DILG Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas. —/JPM (FREEMAN)