Comelec clears JDV on insurance cards

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) upheld yesterday the findings of its law department that the distribution of health insurance cards by Pangasinan congressional bet Jose de Venecia Jr. did not constitute vote buying.

But Comelec Commissioner Resurrecion Borra said the poll body has not ruled on whether De Venecia should be disqualified from the congressional race.

The poll body, in an en banc decision, sustained the department’s findings that the cards were distributed to members of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), which De Venecia heads as chairman.

Comelec Resolution No. 7907 was signed by Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. and Commissioners Resureccion Borra, Florentino Tuason Jr., Romeo Brawner, Rene Sarmiento and Nicodemo Ferrer.

The decision stemmed from a petition for disqualification filed against De Venecia by his rival Benjamin Lim. The two are vying for the congressional seat of the fourth district of Pangasinan.

Lim argued that De Venecia had violated the Fair Election Act when he distributed the cards even to non-party members and non-residents of the province’s fourth district.

According to Law Department director Alioden Dalaig, the Comelec ruling was merely "based on the facts presented" to them, or records which showed that the cards were given to Lakas members and campaigners to encourage them to work hard.

Dalaig added not enough documents were presented to show otherwise.

In a letter to the Comelec’s Law department, Lakas-CMD legal counsel Raul Lambino explained that the distribution of the cards was not an act of vote buying because they were given to party members who were already "captive voters."