Pimentel asks DFA to cancel Bedol passport

MANILA, Philippines - Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr on Thursday asked the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to cancel the passport of former Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol. In a text message to reporters, Pimentel said this is to compel Bedol to return to the country. Earlier in the day, Comelec chairman Jose Armando Melo said the controversial poll official may have left the country even before March 2008 or before Melo assumed office. On Wednesday, Elections Commissioner Lucenito Tagle said the poll body is yet to locate and arrest Bedol even as disclosed information that latter may be in the United States. Tagle admitted they had been having a "hard time locating Mr. Bedol" even after charges have been filed in court against him. "We will try to communicate with consular offices abroad. We will seek help from our people abroad," Tagle said during a Commission on Appointments hearing. Also during the hearing, Tagle said no election offense charges have been filed against Bedol. Pimentel said the Comelec should correct its error by finally filing the case. "The sins of (former Comelec chairman Benjamin)Abalos still haunt us. Comelec can now correct its error by filing the case," Pimentel said. In 2007, the Comelec en banc found Bedol guilty of contempt for ignoring the processes of the poll body which is investigating the latter on the missing ballots and election paraphernalia. - GMANews.TV