No bribery in Comelec, Melo assures

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has denied the bribery allegations of a lawyer representing a congressional candidate in Palawan province who is facing a disqualification case before the poll body. “Hindi siguro kailangan suhulan ang mga commissioner para mag-disqualify (You don’t need to bribe the commissioners to disqualify someone)," Comelec chairman Jose Melo told reporters in a chance interview Monday. “Komo hindi kagustuhan mo ang nangyari, na-bribe na ang gumawa noon (Just because you didn’t like the decision, you will say that it was the result of a bribe), that's not correct," he added. The accusation of bribery came from Ferdinand Topacio, lawyer of Palawan Governor Joel T. Reyes, who is seeking a congressional seat in the May 10 elections, and his wife, Clara “Fems" E. Reyes, who is running for vice-governor. Both are facing disqualification cases before the Comelec second division. Topacio claimed there are “talks" that some candidates have resorted to bribing Comelec commissioners to disqualify their opponents in the elections. He said he had written Melo about this. Melo said Topacio must first file a formal complaint with the Comelec so that they can look into the matter. Reyes is running under the Liberal Party (LP) supposedly with Palawan Second District Representative Abraham Khalil Mitra, who was earlier disqualified by the Comelec first division from because of residency issues. Aside from Mitra, fellow LP bet Richard Gomez was barred by the same division from seeking a congressional seat in Ormoc, Leyte also due to residency issues. Reacting on Topacio’s allegation, Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal of the first body’s first division said that some people just find it “convenient" to blame others for their mistakes. “Unfortunately in an electoral contest, there is one winner, one loser," he said, adding that Topacio should show proof before making accusations. - Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV