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APPARENTLY irked by a gun-wielding Lintang Bedol who
proudly posed before members of the media, the
Commission on Elections (Comelec) issued a warrant of
arrest for the controversial Maguindanao elections
supervisor for his “repeated disobedience” to heed
orders from his superiors.
The
Comelec adopted the recommendation of Task Force
Maguindanao to cite Bedol in contempt for refusing to
present himself before the poll body to explain alleged
election irregularities in Maguindanao.
Elections Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer, head of the task
force, said Bedol would face up to six months’ detention
once arrested for this offense.
“If he
is hiding, he should hide very well because the Comelec
has the authority to issue a warrant for his arrest,” a
red-faced and visibly piqued Ferrer told reporters after
an en banc session.
The
commission en banc has also ordered its legal department
to charge Bedol with a criminal case for his failure to
secure Maguindanao’s municipal certificates of canvass (COCs),
which caused the delay in the tabulation of votes there.
“Once
the information is filed and the court is satisfied with
the prima facie evidence, a warrant of arrest will be
issued against him. He will then be considered a
fugitive,” said Ferrer.
He said
Bedol could be charged with infidelity in the custody of
official documents when he admitted that the municipal
COCs from Maguindanao were stolen from his office. If
found guilty, a six-year jail term could be slapped
against Bedol.
“He
claims that he is not the custodian. He is not the
custodian under the rules but by placing the municipal
COCs in his custody … he is responsible for those
documents. He’s liable for this crime,” said Ferrer,
adding Bedol’s chance for due process has already lapsed
with his defiance to show up despite summons from the
head office.
Ferrer
was annoyed that Bedol appeared before the media and
even challenged his superiors to file a case against him
in court, the only venue where he would answer charges
against him.
“We
don’t want this fellow to be challenging this
institution, an institution that was given by the
Constitution the sole responsibility to conduct
elections. We accept the challenge of Bedol, I hope he
will be ready to defend himself,” he said.
Ferrer,
who is also the implementor of the gun ban policy, would
like to check if Bedol was issued licensed firearms
since he is “bragging that he is fully armed.”
“We are
planning something for him to enjoy himself if he’s
really that great. We would like to surprise him, let’s
see what he will do. I think he will start cringing like
a cornered rat,” he added.
Ferrer,
a former Sandiganbayan associate justice, even offered
to help prosecute Bedol in the criminal case that the
Comelec would file against him.
“If he’s
really a good lawyer as he has been claiming, let us
see,” he added.
Meanwhile, Elections Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said
the recanvassing of votes by the special board of
canvassers in Maguindanao will continue until the poll
body is stopped by the Supreme Court.
Granting
that the temporary restraining order (TRO) comes late
and the recanvassing process is finished, Sarmiento said
no proclamation of the 12th senator-elect shall take
place because the poll results would have to submitted
first to the National Board of Canvassers.
The
Court has set for Thursday the oral arguments on the
petition of senatorial candidate Aquilino Pimentel III
for a TRO on the canvassing of the votes from
Maguindanao.
Pimentel
wants the votes from Maguindanao not included in the
national canvass to maintain his lead over
administration senatorial bet Miguel Zubiri. If the
votes from Maguindanao were counted, Pimentel will lose
the third election where he ran. He earlier ran for
mayor of Cagayan de Oro City and also for congressman.
He lost both candidacies.
Meanwhile, the chief of the National Police Firearms and
Explosives Division (FED) urged the police commander in
the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao to file illegal
possession of firearms charges against Bedol for
admitting that he owns or maintains a cache of firearms.
“It’s
not only revocation [of license or licenses], but
General [Joel] Goltiao should charge him with illegal
possession of firearms,” Chief Supt. Florencio Caccam,
FED chief said.
Caccam
told the weekly police forum Talakayan sa Isyung Pulis
in Camp Crame, Quezon City, that the license to possess
or permit to carry of any licensed gun holder faces
revocation once he violates the provision of the
license.
In the
case of Bedol, he possessed more than the allowed number
of firearms.
The
election chief of Maguindanao admitted to a Manila-based
newspaper that he is maintaining more than two dozens of
weapons, including 20 M-16 carbines. He also said that
he used to have an Uzi submachine gun.
Caccam
said that under the regulations, a gun owner is only
allowed to license two firearms—one hand gun and one
rifle or shotgun.
Caccam
confirmed that Bedol had a license to possess a gun, but
only for two firearms as allowed by law. |
