Abalos co-accused a ‘fictitious person?’

MANILA, Philippines - A military officer, listed as one of former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos’ co-accused in a poll sabotage case, has no record in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Abalos’ lawyer said yesterday.

Despite the issuance of an arrest warrant for Capt. Peter Reyes of the Intelligence Service of the AFP, he has not been arrested because he is a “fictitious person,” lawyer Abraham Espejo said. The ISAFP confirmed yesterday that it has no record of Reyes.

Lawyer Yogie Martirizar, former chairperson of the North Cotabato board of canvassers, identified Reyes as her handler in the alleged cheating during the 2007 midterm elections.

In her testimony during Abalos’ bail hearing last year, she alleged that Reyes gave her instructions on how to handle the conduct of elections in the province. She also said that a certain Col. Basio and Comelec director Mike Abbas told her to segregate the results of the local elections from the national polls.

Martirizar said that she was given instructions to ensure the victory in North Cotabato of candidates of the Team Unity alliance of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Reyes, Martirizar and Abalos face two counts of electoral sabotage. – Perseus Echeminada, Alexis Romero