By Dominic B. dela Cruz
Staff Reporter
Laoag
City—A year after they were filed, the
Commission on Election dismissed two election protest cases filed against Laoag
mayor Chevylle V. Fariñas and her party during the 2013 elections.
The two electoral protest
cases were filed by former Laoag mayor Roger C. Fariñas and Jonas Alexis Go
Cajigal, and Nenito Fariñas and the former mayor.
The complaint focused on the
alleged violation of Comelec Resolution
No. 9615 (Rules and
Regulations Implementing RA No. 9006) or the “Fair Election Act” and the alleged
illegal misuse of government vehicles by Ms. Fariñas, her vice mayoralty and
councilor-candidates
In the complaint, the
petitioners said the respondents offered free medical and dental services in
their campaign sorties using the city-owned mobile hospital bus which was
painted with their supposed campaign slogans “Walang Iwanan” and “Move Forward
Laoag.” The said bus also bore the faces of the couple who were running for the
mayoralty and vice mayoralty posts at the time.
Photos of the said bus and
posters were attached to the complaint.
Responding to the
allegations, the respondents denied the accusation averring that “Move Forward
Laoag” is an official slogan for Laoag City in a joint affidavit. The “Walang
Iwanan” slogan, they explained was in furthering the “Rang-ay ti Barangay”
advocacy program of the city government.
The Rang-ay ti Barangay
program has no part in their election campaign, they added as the free medical
and dental services program is part of the city government’s sanctioned program
and thus allowed the use of government vehicles and facilities.
The Rang-ay ti Barangay
program has since been renamed to “Agserbi 24/7.”
The respondents also
explained in a joint affidavit that the banner posted at the northeast façade
of the City Hall was not a campaign banner but was merely to greet 2013
graduates. The same explanation was also given for the free circumcision
banner, adding that it was part of the Rang-ay program.
After culling all documents
and evidences, Atty. Albert Leonard C. Rodriguez, hearing officer of the cases,
dismissed the instant complaints.
The dismissal was later
sustained by the Comelec en banc with chairperson Sixto Brillantes Jr. and
commissioners Lucenito N. Tagle, Elias R. Yusoph, Christian Robert S. Lim, Al
A. Pareno, Louie Tito F. Guia and Arthur Lim signing the decision dismissing
the cases for lack of probable cause.
In a radio interview, Mr.
Fariñas expressed surprise with the sudden change of the hearing officer the
cases as they were not informed of the development.
He then theorized that the
decision may be connected to the recent visit of Mr. Brillantes to the city.
Mr. Fariñas, a former three
term mayor and who lost to Ms. Fariñas in the 2013 elections, however disclosed
that they no longer plan to file a motion for reconsideration.
Meanwhile, Ms. Fariñas
expressed elation with the dismissal of the election protest cases but added
that she still has yet to receive an official copy of the decision.
She emphasized that with this
development, she can now work better as there are no more distractions for her
to serve her constituents more.
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