Lawyer files election offense case vs Villar

MANILA, Philippines - A lawyer formally filed yesterday before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) a case of election offense against Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Sen. Manuel Villar for accepting and using prohibited contributions.

In a petition, Ernesto Francisco Jr. said Villar should also be disqualified from the presidential race as warranted by such offense.

Francisco said Villar violated Section 95 of the Omnibus Election Code because his campaign war chest came from the proceeds of the initial public offering of Vista Land, as he admitted during a television interview.

The petition showed that under Section 95, corporations which “have been granted franchises, incentives, exemptions, allocations or similar privileges or concessions by the government or any of its divisions, subdivisions or instrumentalities, including government-owned or controlled corporations” are prohibited from giving contributions, directly or indirectly, for purposes of partisan political activities.