Comelec disqualifies another winner in May elections

Comelec disqualifies another winner in May elections
The Commission on Elections has disqualified another elected official for vote-buying using not just money.

Comelec chair Sixto Brilliantes said the poll body's 1st Division said Roxas, Isabela Mayor Benedict Calderon committed vote-buying prior to the May elections, according to a complaint from a voter.

"Namimigay ng mga bigas, namigay ng mga baboy na buhay. Thats vote buying. Vote buying means giving anything of value, instead of giving money...sako-sakong bigas...sa probinsya ganun ang vote-buying," Brilliantes said.

Calderon ran under the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC).

Last week, the Comelec also disqualified Norzagaray, Bulacan Mayor Alfredo Germar, a Liberal Party member, for the same election offense.

Brilliante insisted that the Comelec does not look at party affiliations when probing cases of election offenses against officials who won in the last elections.

He also said the poll body will prosecute erring candidates and officials criminally.

"Aside from the disqualification, ang decision ng comelec will also include to prosecute them criminally in addition to the administrative disqualification," he said.