Press Release
August 8, 2007

KIKO TO COMELEC: DON'T STOP AT CONTEMPT CHARGES
ON BIDOL CASE; EXPEDITE ADMIN AND CRIMINAL CHARGES

Senate Majority Leader Kiko Pangilinan today challenged COMELEC to immediately file appropriate administrative and criminal charges against provincial election supervisor Lintang Bidol, following the agency's guilty verdict for indirect contempt against the election official, sentencing him to 6 months in jail with P1,000 fine.

"COMELEC's decision on Lintang Bedol is a positive development, and while we agree that COMELEC imposed the maximum penalty of 6 months imprisonment for this case as provided in Article VII, Section 52 of the Omnibus Election Code, we still think that the punishment is too lenient to send the right message to those who damage the sanctity of the electoral process in this country," Kiko said.

"COMELEC shouldn't therefore stop at this verdict. It should expedite the filing of corresponding administrative and criminal charges against Bidol. It should explore such charges as violation of Article XXII Section 261 of BP 881, or the Prohibited Acts which holds accountable "Any Public official who neglects or fails to properly preserve or account for any ballot box, documents and forms received by him and kept under his custody." He may also be held liable under Article 226 of the Revised Penal Code for Removal, Concealment, or Destruction of documents by a public officer which has the penalty of Prison mayor or 6 years and 1 day to 12 years, and additional penalty of temporary special disqualification in its maximum period to perpetual special disqualification," Kiko added.

"Harsher punishments must be given to those who are found guilty of tarnishing the credibility of our elections, and the COMELEC must be steadfast in doing this. If a thousand peso fine is the most severe punishment we can give to someone who is found guilty of this offense, how can we deter others from muddling election results? If the COMELEC is serious, then it should throw the book at him and file criminal and administrative cases. If its serious, this is what it should do otherwise, it's all for show. "

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