Show cause order issued vs Manila mayoral bets, 7 others

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday issued show cause orders to Manila mayoral candidates Francisco “Isko Moreno” M. Domagoso and Samuel “SV” S. Verzosa, Jr., along with seven other candidates running for local positions in the May 12 elections.

In a statement, Comelec said that the nine candidates were seen violating the Omnibus Election Code which prohibits vote-buying.

The poll body said that Mr. Domagoso was allegedly handing out P3,000 to public school teachers, while Mr. Versoza reportedly handed out goods with his initials “SV” on them.

Both candidates are vying for the Manila City mayoral post, which Mr. Domagoso previously held from 2019 to 2022.

Additionally, Comelec issued show cause orders to Caloocan re-electionist Mayor Dale “Along” R. Malapitan for alleged vote buying and abuse of state resources (ASR) due to him giving out P3,225 at a covered court in Caloocan.

Article 12 of the Omnibus Election Code penalizes vote-buying and vote-selling with not less than one year to six years of imprisonment.

ASR refers to the misuse of government funds through material, human, coercive, regulatory, budgetary, media-related, or legislative, for electoral advantage. It typically involves the use of government facilities and vehicles for campaign-related activity.

The poll body also issues six other show cause orders for local candidates for presumed vote buying. — Adrian H. Halili