MANILA, Philippines – Tinanggihan ng Commission on Elections (COMELEC) ang motion for reconsideration na inihain ni Gerardo “Jerry” Noveras at kinatigan ang naunang desisyon nitong i-disqualify ang huli sa 2022 vice gubernatorial race.
“Wherefore, premises considered, the Commission En Banc resolved, as it hereby resolves, to deny the motion for reconsideration dated 14 July 2023. The petition for disqualification dated 26 April 2022 is hereby granted,” saad ng En banc said in its decision dated September 6.
“Respondent Gerardo “Jerry” A. Noveras is hereby declared disqualified from running for the vice-gubernatorial position of the province of Aurora in the 09 May 2022 national and local elections,” dagdag pa sa desisyon.
Matatandaan, nagdesisyon ang poll body na i-disqualify si Noveras dahil sa paggamit ng tarpaulin printer ng provincial government para sa kanyang kampanya noong 2022.
“As explained earlier, the unlawful and unauthorized use of government resources constitute a use of fraudulent scheme under Section 261 e of the OEC. We must then determine if this use of the fraudulent scheme was for the purpose of coercing or inducing a person to participate in any form of campaigning,” tgiit ng Comelec.
Ayon sa Comelec, ang posisyon ni Noveras bilang pinuno ng local government unit ay nagpahintulot sa kanya “to coerce and enable the assignment of a provincial casual worker to perform acts beyond his scope of work and to use the ATC compound for the printing of respondent’s campaign materials, which is beyond the allowed and intended use of a government property.”
Itinanggi ni Noveras ang anumang pananagutan at inangkin na ang mga gawaing ito ay hindi maaaring direktang ibigay sa kanya, dahil siya ay nangatuwiran na ang resolusyon ng Komisyon (Unang Dibisyon) ay umaasa lamang sa mga hinuha at pagpapalagay.
Binigyang-diin pa ng poll body na mali ang argumento ni Noveras.
“This is not a mere coincidence but a strong indication that Respondent had coerced and induced Mr. Tecuico in performing the acts complained of. The clear language of Section 261 (e) of the OEC states that the prohibited act need not to be proved to be undertaken by Respondent directly. Even the indirect act would render him liable,” the poll body said.
Iginiit ng petitioner na si Narciso Amansec, na karibal ni Noveras noong 2022 vice gubernatorial race sa Aurora, na siya at ang kanyang asawa at driver ay pumunta sa Aurora Training Center (ATC) Compound noong Marso 30, 2022, at nasaksihan ang aktwal na pag-imprenta ng ang tarpaulin at campaign materials ng Noveras.
Sinabi ni Amansec na napansin niya ang isang tarpaulin na may pamilyar na imahe at pulang background at nakita niya si Michael Tecuico, isang kaswal na empleyado ng Aurora provincial government, na namamahala sa pag-imprenta ng tarpaulin at campaign materials.
Binigyang-diin pa nito na ang desisyon nito ay nakabatay sa merito ng kaso sa halip na teknikalidad, na binanggit na ayon sa panuntunan 23 ng Rules of Procedure ng poll body, ang hindi pagharap ng petitioner o ng kanyang abogado sa preliminary conference ay nag-uutos ng dismissal ng kaso.
Napansin ng poll body na nabigo si Amansec na humarap sa preliminary conference noong Mayo 17, 2022. RNT
