EDITORIAL — Going after Bedol

Lintang Bedol — remember him? With the scandal that led to the resignation of Benjamin Abalos as chairman of the Commission on Elections, it is easy to forget that until fairly recently, Bedol was the Comelec official who was under fire, on suspicion that he rigged the vote in favor of administration candidates in the May elections.

Now Comelec officials themselves are reminding the public about it. As the previous week came to a close, acting Comelec Chairman Resurreccion Borra announced that the commission was ready to file charges against Bedol for electoral sabotage — a crime under a law passed only at the start of this year that can warrant life imprisonment. The case is apart from Bedol’s conviction for contempt of the Comelec, which earned him a six-month prison term and a fine of P1,000. This was in August; Bedol remains free.

Bedol may have also violated gun laws, but to this day no one is sure. After he admitted keeping an arsenal of guns, authorities did not bother to check if the weapons were covered by licenses and permits. As election supervisor for Maguindanao, Bedol had claimed to have lost certificates of election returns. The alleged loss delayed the count in the Senate race, especially for the 12th slot. Later, he announced that the missing election returns had been found. The integrity of the “recovered” returns has not been established, but the Comelec has proclaimed the 12th winner in the Senate race.

Though the Comelec’s latest action against Bedol comes belatedly, it is still a welcome move — if it actually amounts to anything. There is speculation that the prosecution of Bedol would not have been possible under Abalos. The law that made electoral sabotage a serious crime is meant precisely to put an end to all the anomalies, especially those involving election personnel, that have compromised the integrity of every electoral exercise in this country. With the prosecution of Bedol, the Comelec can show that it is finally ready to implement a long overdue housecleaning.