Barely a week passed after both camps of Speaker of Jose de Venecia and Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin Lim swapped charges of vote-buying, the  lawyers of the former have filed a formal complaint against the latter and his son Brian, while the Speaker himself is also facing an investigation by the Commission on Election for the same charge –  vote-buying. 

The complaint against Lim was filed Friday morning before the Law Department of the Commission on Elections in Manila, according to lawyer Jack Castañeda.

Meanwhile, Lim, speaking over a local radio program, said he is ready to answer the vote-buying charge but quickly accused the Speaker as the one engaging in massive vote-buying.

According to the Comelec, the Speaker will be investigated for his alleged distribution of insurance cards to voters in the 4th district.

This drew a tart reaction from Lim, saying “It’s long overdue!”

Castaneda said attached to the complaint are affidavits of 92 persons, including a certain “Mrs. X” who turned over a gift check from the Magic Group of   Companies worth P1,500 which, she said, was given her a day after Mayor Lim met with her and her colleagues in Mangaldan town.

The Magic Group is owned by the mayor who is running to oppose De Venecia as the 4th District representative. Brian, his son, is a mayoralty candidate in Dagupan.

“MRS. X”

Castañeda said the true identity of “Mrs. X”, a teacher from Mangaldan National High School, is being withheld for security reasons.

In an interview on Thursday night, “Mrs. X” said Lim met her and her fellow teachers at the Mangaldan National High School and told them he was not there for politics but continuously harangued De Venecia in his speech.

The following day, she said Lim’s coordinator assembled them again and handed each a gift check and whose value was apparently coded.

Mrs. X told newsmen her colleagues immediately exchanged their gift checks at the Magic Club or Warehouse in Dagupan but kept hers to use as evidence to support the vote-buying charge.

Castaneda said that the incident may also constitute bribery because public school teachers are mandated to go on poll duty during election.

Castañeda said a lawyer of the Law Department of Comelec examined the complaint, including its attachments, and said it complied with the requirements of the law as to form.

Castañeda said De Venecia had initially dissuaded him and other lawyers from filing the case if vote-buying by the other camp stops.

“But it appears vote-buying by the other side is still continuing,” Castaneda said.

Castañeda said most of their 92 witnesses are former supporters of Lim who changed their mind soon after they were brought to a warehouse owned by Lim in barangay Malued in Dagupan City and given grocery items, wall clocks, t-shirts, shoulder bags and other items, including either P500 and P1,000 in cash. Others were brought to a resort in Mangaldan town where they were allegedly given P1,000 each.

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