Comelec disputes 'YouTube scandal'

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) denied Thursday a newspaper banner story linking its official to alleged fixing in the bidding for the automation of the 2010 elections. Comelec spokesman James Arthur Jimenez branded as unfair the story where Comelec Special Bids and Awards Committee head Ferdinand Rafanan was supposedly caught on a video clip posted on video sharing site YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-1O2cPveCM). "What was shown in the video posted on YouTube were three men rummaging through documents. None of the men shown on the video appear to be Atty. Rafanan and yet newspapers carried stories, with headlines in screaming bold letters to boot, that he was among those who were caught on cam doing the dirty deed," Jimenez said in an entry on the Comelec blog site (http://bagongbotante.ph/eidblog/). On Thursday night, the Comelec blog site put up its own video clip explaining its side on its blog site. Jimenez said the newspaper report unjustly painted the Comelec with irregularity and wrongdoing in the poll automation bidding process." “Atty. Rafanan is a man of integrity and principles. Attempting to bribe a person like Atty. Rafanan, as they say, is like bribing the Pope," he said. He reassured the public that “the Comelec has, since day one, kept the poll automation bidding process open and transparent as possible." Jimenez also defended the Comelec's decision to set the deadline for the filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COC) on November 30, 2009 in light of the preparations the poll body has to undertake for the automation of the May 10, 2010 elections. He said the Comelec did not violate any law with the setting of the November 30 deadline, saying that Section 13 of the Republic Act 9369 allows the poll body to “set the deadline for the filing of certificate of candidacy/petition of registration/manifestation to participate in the elections." - GMANews.TV