LP files complaint vs. election officer
THE Liberal Party in Dagupan City has filed a formal complaint against the City Election Officer for alleged failure “to properly conduct the voter registration proceedings in a manner that is free, unbiased and credible”.
The complaint, dated October 29, 2012, was filed against Atty. Remarque L. Ravanzo, city election officer, by Francisco B. Angeles, legal counsel, in behalf of the LP in Dagupan following what the party described as a chaotic and disorganized registration proceedings, where even non-residents of Dagupan may have been allowed to register.
The letter complaint was addressed to Atty. Marino Salas, provincial elections supervisor of Pangasinan, a copy furnished to the Commission on Elections headquarter in Manila.
“We are writing in behalf of the Liberal party of Dagupan City (LP-DC) to report and file this formal complaint against Atty. Remarque L. Ravanzo, Election Supervisor, Dagupan City, for his failure to conduct the voter registration proceedings in a manner that is free, unbiased and credible, one that will erase any shade of doubt as to the reliability and dependability of the list of voters it will eventually come up with after the registration proceedings and which will eventually be used come election time,” the letter reads.
The LP is asking Salas to investigate their complaints and requested for the immediate transfer of the election officer should the investigation warrant it.
Angeles was designated counsel of LP Dagupan on October 16 by former Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr., along with three party watchers, to observe the registration proceedings and object to irregularities that may arise at the site.
Angeles said the LP-DC endeavored to safeguard and promote the sanctity of the registration process for a free, honest and credible elections, by ensuring that those who will vote “are indeed and are truly residents of Dagupan City”.
CODED FORM
Attached in the letter complaint was an affidavit executed by one Aaron Jurado of Barangay Bonuan Boquig, Dagupan City who stated that he was invited by a long-time acquaintance and supporter of Mayor Benjamin Saplan Lim at the second floor of City Hall where he was handed a registration form by one Mary Ann Saplan Marcellano with a supposed coded signature at the bottom right of the page.
With the coded registration form, Jurado was able to easily enter the premises of the Comelec office through the backdoor and attended to immediately.
While waiting outside to take his turn to have his photo and signatures captured in a machine, he saw Marcellano accompanying a group of registrars who also entered through the backdoor.
LP cited that the unfair disregard of the stand-in-line rule by allowing registrants to pass through the backdoor of the Comelec office, unnecessarily impeding the orderly and prompt registration of voters waiting in line at the front door and who have painstakingly come earlier just to get their number was among the reasons for filing a formal complaint against Ravanzo.
Marcellano is allegedly a relative of Lim who is running for re-election under the Nacionalista Party.
He is up against Vice Mayor Belen Ferrnandez, the mayoralty candidate of the LP, who earlier asked the City Election Office to take immediate steps to prevent non-residents of Dagupan from registering and voting in the May 2013 election
In his letter to Salas, Angeles said that based on the observation of the LP watchers – Bernadette Rabe, Rodrigo Biazon and Arrian Biazon – the Comelec officers and staff were unable to restrain Marcellano who was freely coming in and out of the COMELEC premises despite lack of proper identification and recognition as representative/watcher of any political party.
He said their watchers also noted that the city election office failed to stop the use of the “hakot” system in the registration of voters, a clear election offense.
They also pointed out that an unnamed POSO (Public Order and Safety Officer) personnel, not a Comelec employee, was seen distributing priority numbers to registrants when he should be simply ensuring the peace and order situation within the premises.
Angeles also noted that Ravanzo allowed the use of downloaded registration forms from the Comelec website contrary to his earlier pronouncement that he was prohibiting the use of these.
At the same time, the City Election Office also prohibited duly recognized LP watchers from raising an objection to registration irregularities claiming that watchers can only observe and not object.
The LP-DC stressed that its complaint against Ravanzo should in no way be construed as an attempt to suppress the right to register of any eligible voter who are residents of Dagupan City.
“As a matter of fact, we welcome all those who seek to avail of their privilege to vote by registering first. But just like in any proceedings, this registration should be done in an environment that will foster and sustain confidence in its processes,” the letter-complaint reads.
Revanzo could not be reached for comment at presstime.
COMPLAINT FILED VS. VM
PANTAL Barangay Desk Officer Leonila C. Sales has called for a full-blown investigation into what she called as the “undue meddling” committed by Vice Mayor Belen T. Fernandez during the recently concluded registration of voters.
Sales made the call after four of her barangay mates complained that they were “bullied” last October 29 by Fernandez when the vice mayor asked them to present necessary documents relative to their desire to be registered as voters in next year’s elections.
A police blotter certification presented by Sales during a radio interview identified the complainants as Chery L. Ocaing, 19 years old; Jennelyn A. Arbolente, 17; Mary Joy M. Fernandez, 17 and Normalyn A. Decena, 18, who are all bonafide residents of Sitio Pantal East, Barangay Pantal.
In their complaint, Ocang and Decena said that while they were waiting for their turns to be registered at the Commission on Elections office, at around 2 p.m., Fernandez approached them and grabbed their filled-up registration forms and live birth certificates.
Fernandez later brought the forms and documents at her SP office then her office staff came out and handed the papers to a media woman from USATV and interviewed Ocaing.
Ocaing said she and her companions felt intimidated as a result of the “unauthorized interview” which that prompted them to cancel their plan to register.
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