Maza demands COMELEC probe into military black prop against progressive party-lists
Nacionalista-Makabayan senatorial candidate Liza Maza demanded that the Commission on Elections conduct an immediate investigation on the vilification campaign conducted by the 69th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army against progressive party-lists Gabriela, Bayan Muna, Anakpawis and Kabataan on April 6 at the Philippine College of Technology (PCT) in Bajada, Davao.
"This is a clear violation of the Omnibus Election Code which prohibits the military from participating in partisan politics. The COMELEC should immediately look into this and sanction the officers and members of the 69th IB who participated in this," Maza said.
Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code states as an election offense “intervention of public officers and employees... (i) Any officer or employee in the civil service, except those holding political offices; any officer, employee, or member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, or any police force, special forces, home defense forces, barangay self-defense units and all other para-military units that now exist or which may hereafter be organized who, directly or indirectly, intervenes in any election campaign or engages in any partisan political activity, except to vote or to preserve public order, if he is a peace officer.”
Likewise, Article IX-B, Section 2(4) of the 1987 Constitution and Section 55 of the Administrative Code of 1987, also state, respectively, that “No officer or employee in the civil service shall engage, directly or indirectly, in any electioneering or partisan political campaign” and “No officer or employee in the Civil Service including members of the Armed Forces, shall engage, directly or indirectly, in any partisan political activity or take part in any election except to vote nor shall he use his official authority or influence to coerce the political activity of any other person or body”.
According to witnesses, the military urged the students of PCT not to join or support the above-mentioned groups which are New Peoples Army fronts and use their respective “pork barrel” from Congress to support the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
“The malicious linking of progressive party-lists to the CPP-NPA is an old issue that has yet to be proven by those who seek to destroy the credibility of individuals and groups that seek to genuinely serve the Filipinos,” Maza said.
Maza pointed out that Gabriela, Bayan Muna, and Anakpawis have not been receiving their respective Priority Development Assistance Fund – more commonly known as the “pork barrel” – since 2004 due to them being the main critics of the Arroyo administration. She also stressed that said party-lists are pro-abolition of the “pork barrel”. ###
