DOJ to look into vote buying raps vs Remulla

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice (DOJ) is set to investigate offenses linked to the elections, Secretary Leila de Lima said yesterday.

Among those to be investigated are the vote buying complaints filed against re-electionist Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla and 13 others. The complaints were filed by  poll watchdog, Alyansa ng mga Botanteng Kabitenyo Laban sa Dayaan (ABKD 2013).

“For cases filed with the DOJ and local prosecutors, it is incumbent upon us to investigate,” De Lima said.

“These are all part of law enforcement and therefore if there’s violence, our law enforcement agencies including the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) should investigate,” she added.

De Lima was reacting to a call of ABKD 2013 for the DOJ to look into their complaint against Remulla.

“We urged De Lima to resolve our complaint immediately, lest it becomes moot once the election is over,” the group said in a statement.

Remulla and 13 others were accused of violating the Omnibus Election Code for alleged vote buying in the family-owned Island Cove Resort & Leisure Park.

ABKD 2013 convenors James Warren Florendo, Cristina Cabrera and Teresita Moreno said a similar incident took place last April 6 at the University of Perpetual Help in GMA, Cavite.