FOR BINGO

FIVE candidates for councilors in Dagupan City, three with the Nacionalista Party (NP) and two independent, face possible disqualification in a complaint filed by a taxpayer before the City Elections Office.

The 13-page complaint filed by Florence Claveria of Barangay Lasip Chico in the city charged incumbent Councilors Redford Christian Erfe Mejia and Guillermo Vallejos, Luis Samson Jr., Nicanor Aquino and Teddy Villamil for violation of the Omnibus Election Code for soliciting votes during bingo bonanza games held in different places in Dagupan on different dates.

The five candidates are with the unopposed candidate for vice mayor, Marc Brian Lim, who was not included in the complaint.

The complaint for ‘Violation of Election Laws and for Disqualification’ was contained in the affidavit of Claveria filed April 26 before the office of Acting City Election Officer Nathaniel Saiden.

Provincial Election Supervisor Joel Gines confirmed on May 4 that the complaint was already forwarded to the Comelec law department in Manila.

In her affidavit, Claveria submitted videotaped proceedings of the alleged bingo bonanza held in the Mangin Elementary School on March 20; Tambac Elementary School on March 21, Bolosan Elementary School on March 23 and Malued Elementary School on March 24, to support her complaint.

Under the Omnibus Election Code, the holding of bingo as well as lotteries, cockfights, boxing bouts, the entertainment or cinematographic, theatrical or other performances are prohibited to be held from the start of the election period up to and including election day.

Also presented by Claveria as additional evidence were bingo cards with the heading Magic Group of Companies/JCI Dagupan Bangus BINGO for a Cause.

Vice Mayor Lim, whose family owns the Magic Group, said in a radio interview that the bingo bonanza was a promo of Magic and Jaycees. Lim is the JCI national president.

However, the complainant claimed the video recordings show that the candidates used the bingo games to solicit votes.

In the 2013 election, then Mayor Benjamin Lim and his candidates were also charged for the same offense, holding bingo bonanzas during the campaign period in 2013.

But this was subsequently withdrawn when the elder Lim suffered a stroke on the eve of the election and eventually lost. (Leonardo Micua)

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