Mar Roxas’ disqualification sought

A lawyers’ group filed yesterday a disqualification case against senatorial candidate Manuel Roxas II with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for allegedly exceeding the allowed television campaign minutes, with still a month to go before the May polls.

Lawyer Vicente Bonaobra, a member of Pro-Constitution (Pro-Con), accused Roxas of having logged 161.25 minutes of television ads as of March 28, about 40 minutes more than the 120 minutes allowed for the entire campaign period.

The case against Roxas is the fifth filed by Pro-Con.

In an earlier interview, opposition lawyer Demaree Raval said Roxas has also exceeded the 180 minutes allowed for radio ads, but that a separate case will be filed against him.

Pro-Con has filed two disqualification cases against President Arroyo for exceeding the allowed television campaign minutes.

Last Friday, Pro-Con filed an electioneering case against Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas for a March 22 memorandum encouraging Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) employees to vote for Mrs. Arroyo.

Raval said while it is debatable if Cabinet officials can campaign for Mrs. Arroyo, Sto. Tomas exerted undue influence on 6,842 DOLE personnel all over the country. Pro-Con’s petition also alleged that the memorandum was distributed using the DOLE’s facilities and resources.

Sto. Tomas is the fourth presidential appointee haled before the Comelec for alleged involvement in Mrs. Arroyo’s bid for a fresh mandate in the May polls.

Pro-Con has filed charges of electioneering against Philippine Health Insurance Corp. president Francisco Duque and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office chairman Ma. Livia de Leon after Mrs. Arroyo distributed PhilHealth cards, which had been partly funded by the PCSO, during her campaign sorties. The cards bore the President’s photo.

Last Wednesday, senatorial candidates running under the Alyansa ng Pag-asa accused Manuel Punzal, chairman of the Commission on Higher Education, of campaigning for Mrs. Arroyo when he issued a memorandum ordering that her speech be read in all graduation ceremonies.