Arrest Bedol by Dec. 31,Comelec tells ARMM police

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday gave the police director of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) until Dec. 31 to arrest former Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol or be relieved from his post.

Poll officials led by acting Comelec chairman Resurreccion Borra were apparently not satisfied with the explanation given by Chief Superintendent Joel Goltiao in yesterday’s meeting on why Bedol remains scot-free.

“After that (Dec. 31) and Bedol has not been arrested, the Comelec might exercise other options like to recommend (Goltiao’s) relief and place somebody else who can arrest Atty. Bedol,” Borra told reporters.

Last Oct. 23, the Comelec directed Goltiao to collar Bedol whom it sentenced to a six-month jail term for indirect contempt.

Despite repeated calls from the Comelec to report what steps he has taken to effect Bedol’s arrest, Goltiao continued to snub the poll body.

But under pain of being charged with an election offense and an administrative case, Goltiao showed up in yesterday’s meeting at the Comelec.

Asked if the Comelec was satisfied with Goltiao’s explanation, Borra said the Philippine National Police “has other strategies that could have been effective.”

Borra noted the observation that “powerful politicians” are protecting Bedol and “we want this disabused.”

The Comelec also gave Goltiao one week to submit an official report on what he has done to go after Bedol.

For his part, Goltiao said he immediately ordered “surveillance” on Bedol after he received the warrant of arrest last Oct. 24.

Police raided Bedol’s house in Cotabato City five days later but did not find him there.

“Perhaps we need more time,” Goltiao said in an interview, claiming that they had checked on Bedol’s office, friends and relatives but to no avail.

Goltiao expressed confidence that Bedol, who is not on the hold departure list of the Bureau of Immigration, has not fled the country.

He believes that Bedol is no longer in the ARMM but somewhere else in Mindanao.

“We have to exert more effort to find him,” he added.