Huling disqualification case ni Marcos, ibinasura ng Comelec 1st Division

ni Lolet Abania | April 20, 2022

Ibinasura ng Commission on Elections (Comelec) First Division ang huling 2022 elections disqualification case laban kay presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. dahil sa tinatawag na “lack of merit” o kakulangan ng merito.

Batay sa ruling, na nilagdaan nina Comelec Commissioners Socorro Inting, Aimee Ferolino, at Aimee Torrefranca-Neri, na-dismiss ang petisyon na inihain ng Pudno Nga Ilokano (Ang Totoong Ilokano).

“Wherefore, premises considered, the instant petition, is hereby denied for lack of merit,” ayon sa resolution.

Ang mga petitioners sa disqualification case, kung saan nag-ugat ito mula sa conviction o paghatol kay Marcos kaugnay sa tax-related cases noong 1995, ay sina Margarita Salonga Salandanan, Crisanto Ducusin Palabay, Mario Flores Ben, Danilo Austria Consumido, Raoul Hafalla Tividad, Nida Mallare Gatchallan, at Nomer Calulot Kuan.

Ayon sa kanilang petisyon, sinabi ng grupo na si Marcos ay na-convict nang walong beses ng Quezon City Regional Trial Court (QCRTC) Branch 105 noong 1995 dahil sa bigo nitong mag-file ng kanyang income tax returns bilang governor ng Ilocos Norte para sa tinatawag na taxable years mula 1982 hanggang 1985 gayundin, sa kabiguan nitong magbayad ng kaukulang deficiency taxes.

Subalit base sa kanilang ruling, ipinaliwanag ng Comelec division na ang non-filing o hindi paghahain ng income tax returns ay hindi isang krimen na kinasasangkutan ng moral turpitude.

Ayon sa division: “If failure to file income tax return is considered alone, it would appear that it is not inherently wrong. This is supported by the fact that the filing of income tax return is only an obligation created by law and the omission to do so is only considered as wrong because the law penalizes it.”

Ipinunto pa ng division na si Marcos anila, “paid his income tax liability through the withholding system, albeit not in full.”

“Even if his tax liability was not paid in full, the same was not done willfully by respondent (Marcos, Jr.) since, as the CA explained, it is the government's obligation to withhold the income tax of respondent and the latter had the right to rely on the computation of the taxes withheld,” saad ng resolution.

“In the case of respondent, it can be said that the filing of income tax return is only for record purposes, not for the payment of tax liability. He may have been neglectful in performing his obligation, it however does not reflect moral depravity,” batay pa sa resolution.

Binanggit naman ng division na bagaman nabigong mag-file si Marcos ng kanyang ITR nang maraming taon anila, “there is still no tax evasion to speak of as no tax was actually intentionally evaded. The government was not defrauded.”

“The petitioners were ‘gravely mistaken’ when they said Marcos should be disqualified because he was convicted for a crime with a penalty of more than 18 months,” pahayag pa ng division.

Kapalit ng access sa kanyang office laptop… 300K, pangako sa dating Smartmatic employee

ni Zel Fernandez | April 19, 2022

Tinatayang aabot sa 300 libong piso ang diumano’y ipinangako sa dating empleyado ng Smartmatic na may kinalaman sa data breach ng kumpanya.

Sa isinagawang pagdinig sa Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms kaninang umaga, napag-alaman ng NBI na isang third party umano ang nag-alok ng training modules at perang aabot sa halagang 300 libong piso sa dating Smartmatic employee na si Ricardo Argana, kapalit ang pagbibigay nito ng access sa kanyang office laptop.

Pahayag ng NBI, matapos nito ay nakaranas umano ng ‘unusual traffic’ at ‘downloads’ sa Smartmatic system na may kaugnayan kay Argana. Ayon naman sa Smartmatic, imposible umanong makaapekto sa 2022 National Elections ang na-access na file mula sa laptop ni Argana.

Samantala, nauna nang iginiit ni Sen. Imee Marcos, Senate Electoral Reforms Committee Chair, na hinihinalang mayroong security breach sa operasyon ng Smartmatic. Gayunman, ani Comelec Commissioner Marlon Casquejo, walang cyber attack sa sistema ng Comelec.

1-buwang bonus, aprub sa mga empleyado ng Comelec

ni Lolet Abania | April 7, 2022

Inaprubahan ng Commission on Elections (Comelec) ang isang buwang bonus para sa kanilang mga empleyado bago pa ang May 9, 2022 elections.

“We have an approved Employee Development Assistance consisting of a 1 month bonus for all regular employees of this Commission. Our workforce can expect to receive this 1 month bonus this April 2022,” saad ni Comelec Chairperson Saidamen Pangarungan.

Aprub na rin sa Comelec ang higit pang expenses o gastusin para sa kanilang mga empleyado.

“The Augmentation of transportation and communication expenses for the Election Officers for a period of 6 months to cover also the Barangay Elections in December 2022. The Commission En banc approved this to cushion the impact of the round of fuel increases upon our election officers,” ani Pangarungan.

Ang suspensyon naman ng biometrics o automated attendance system ay inaprubahan din ng poll body upang maaari nang magpatuloy ang mga empleyado na magtrabaho sa field na hindi na kailangan pang bumalik sa opisina para mag-punch ng kanilang attendance.

Ayon pa kay Pangarungan, approved in principle na rin ng Comelec ang ninanais nilang gun ban exemptions para sa mga election officers, provincial election supervisors at regional election directors.

“Election officers may also be entitled to not more than 2 security detail subject to the approval of their respective REDs. This exemption to the gun ban was enjoyed before by our election officers in previous elections,” paliwanag ni Pangarungan.

“To be effective our election officers need to feel secured in performing their duties, free from fear and pressure from opposing candidates in the respective jurisdiction,” sabi pa ng opisyal.

Ipinaalala naman ni Pangarungan sa mga empleyado ng Comelec na dapat nilang tiyakin ang pagkakaroon ng matapat, maayos, mapagkakatiwalaan at mapayapang eleksyon sa Mayo 9, 2022.