Echiverri cleared of poll charges

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has junked a case filed against Caloocan City Mayor Enrico Echiverri by former mayor Macario Asistio Jr. for allegedly using unauthorized campaign materials and putting posters on areas not authorized by the Comelec during the 2009 elections.

Echiverri said a Comelec resolution received by his office last Aug. 2 favored his motion for reconsideration seeking the dismissal of the initial ruling of the poll body’s law department that allowed the filing of charges against him based on Asistio’s complaints.

Echiverri said that among those who signed the resolution were Commissioners Rene Sarmiento, Lucenito Tagle, Armando Velasco, Elias Yusoph, and Christian Robert Lim.

Hesaid Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes certified the 11-page resolution favoring Echiverri, who is now on his third and last term as Caloocan City mayor.

In his motion to junk the case, Echiverri said the complaint had no probable cause, adding that the questioned campaign materials were not his individual posters but the common posters of all the candidates belonging to his political party.

He said that the campaign materials were set up in private properties with the consent of their owners and the election officer of Caloocan City did not issue any notice or order directing him or any candidate belonging to his party to remove any of the alleged illegal election campaign materials.