South Cotabato poll exec found liable for election sabotage

MANILA, Philippines – A lawyer who headed the provincial board of canvassers in South Cotabato in last year’s elections is facing life imprisonment after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) found her liable for electoral sabotage.

Lilian Suan-Radam was also found to have committed falsification of documents, which is punishable under the Revised Penal Code.

In a resolution, the Comelec ordered that the case be referred to the South Cotabato Regional Trial Court.

“The law department is hereby directed to file the necessary information with the proper court against the respondent,” read the resolution.

The poll body upheld the findings of its law department that Radam had violated Republic Act 9369, an act authorizing the Comelec to use an automated election system in the May 11, 1998 elections.

Lawyer Ferdinand Rafanan, law department director, said the case could be considered as a good “sample case” and a “lesson” for Comelec employees and candidates who might have the intention of rigging elections.

“It will be better if these Comelec employees who are now being made to answer criminally to divulge the candidates, politicians or their middle men,” he said.

“It would cost them to commit this crime. They should turn state witnesses to redeem themselves.”

Electoral sabotage is punishable with life imprisonment, Rafanan said.

The case arose from a complaint filed by defeated senatorial candidate Aquilino Pimentel III who accused Radam of increasing the votes of administration candidates Edgardo Angara, Joker Arroyo, Michael Defensor, Prospero Pichay Jr., Ralph Recto and Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Pimentel, who belonged to the opposition, lost the 12th senatorial slot to Zubiri.

In a statement sent to The STAR, Pimentel said an en banc resolution unanimously approved by six commissioners led by Chairman Jose Melo, declared  that a crime has been committed as evidenced by the discrepancies in the provincial certificate of canvass submitted by Radam and submitted by the Special Board of Canvassers.

“In the same light, the fact that there has been tampering of the figures of votes in the PCOC, the most logical explanation as to the discrepancies must come from the Provincial Board of Canvassers (PBOC) chair (Radam), he or she having personal knowledge of the incidents surrounding the canvassing,” he said quoting the Comelec resolution.

“This she failed to do. Based on the foregoing reasons, this Commission finds probable cause to warrant the filing of information before the proper court.”

Pimentel said Radam would become the first election official to be charged with electoral sabotage, which is punishable by life imprisonment under Republic Act 9360. – With Perseus Echeminada