I'll surrender – Abalos

MANILA, Philippines — Former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos said he will voluntarily surrender to face charges of electoral sabotage filed by the poll body at the Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Wednesday.

“We are a man of law. We will yield to the law. I have no plans of fleeing. If the case is filed, I will voluntarily surrender,” Abalos told his supporters who gathered in front of his house in Mandaluyong City.

As an expression of good faith and his intention to surrender, Abalos showed up at the office of Pasay City RTC Executive Judge Edwin Ramizo ahead of Comelec officials who filed the charges of electoral sabotage, a non-bailable offense punishable by life imprisonment, against him. His case was eventually raffled off to the sala of Judge Jesus Mupas, who is also handling the electoral sabotage case against former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

But Abalos, who was accompanied by more or less 300 supporters, left the Pasay RTC when he learned that Mupas has not issued an arrest warrant. Abalos stressed that he will accept whatever detention cell he will be committed once an arrest warrant is issued.

Abalos had earlier told his supporters that he will not wait for arresting officers to serve the arrest warrant.

“I will voluntarily surrender para hindi na madamay ang mga sumusuporta sa akin (so that my supporters will not be involved),” he said.

Charged with Abalos were Yogie Martirizar, former election supervisor in North Cotobato; and Capt. Melchor Reyes of the Intelligence and Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

While he said that he is ready to face the charges, Abalos expressed surprise why the Department of Justice-Comelec (DoJ-Comelec) joint panel gave credence to the testimonies of two poll body officials whom he had earlier charged in connection with the 2007 elections.

Abalos said he was the one who initiated the investigation and had filed charges against the two Comelec officials – Martirizar and Lilian Suan-Radam, provincial election supervisors in North and South Cotabato, respectively, during the 2007 elections.

“I had them removed from their positions and had filed 15 cases against them, approved by Justice (Jose) Melo, former Comelec Chairman (Resurreccion) Borra... I am thankful that in the recommendations by previous commissions… they remained charged. However, I was surprised that they suddenly became witnesses under the Department of Justice,” he said.

“I was thankful, I was not included in the first case of electoral sabotage case filed by the joint-DoJ- Comelec panel,” Abalos added.

Abalos said that it would be impossible for him to commit any poll fraud, recalling that his own brother, Arsenio, who ran for a position under the Biyaheng Pinoy party-list, lost during the 2007 elections. “If Radam and Martirizar are saying that I even rigged the party-list of the administration, why did my brother lose? All that he needed were 300,000 votes to win but he lost.”

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes, in an interview, said the commission en banc agreed Wednesday to file the case at the Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC).

“Except for (Commissioner) Gus Lagman, everybody agreed that we will already file the case against (former) Chairman Abalos,” he said.

He said two separate electoral sabotage cases will be filed – one concerning the elections in South Cotabato and the other in North Cotabato, both in 2007.

“Against Abalos, there are three testimonies that we referred to. Those of Lilian Radam (former provincial election supervisor in South Cotabato); Yogie Martirizar (former election supervisor in North Cotabato); and Lintang Bedol (former election supervisor in Maguindanao),” said Brillantes.

Aside from Abalos, Brillantes said they will file a case against Radam, Martirizar, and a certain Capt. Peter Reyes of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP).

Radam and Matirizar had earlier tagged Abalos as the one who gave them orders to rig the results of elections in their respective areas in 2007 in favor of the then administration’s Team Unity senatorial candidates.

Abalos’ name was initially included in the resolution that also ordered the filing of electoral sabotage case against former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo last Nov. 18.

His name was, however, excluded since the charges filed against Mrs. Arroyo only concerns alleged cheating in Maguindanao.

Meanwhile, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile Wednesday said authorities should ensure a strong case against Abalos.

“You know, the deprivation of the right to bail in capital offenses, what we call offenses that carry capital penalty, like life imprisonment or death, but we do not have the death penalty. It’s open to question if it is not strong,” Enrile said..

“The burden of proof is in the prosecution to establish a strong case. Eh, kung mahina yung kaso nila? (What if their case is weak?),” Enrile said.

Sen. Franklin Drilon said the matter would have to be taken to the courts so the public would also understand the case.