Ni NOEL ABUEL
Binatikos ni Senador Leila M. de Lima ang banta ni Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Commissioner Rey Bulay na gagamitin nito ang Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) laban sa mga indibiduwal na babatikos sa pagkilos ng poll body sa darating na eleksyon.
Ayon kay De Lima, ang banta ni Bulay na gamitin ang AFP upang arestuhin ang magpapahayag ng pagtutol at pagpapahayag ng hindi pagkuntento sa Comelec ay hindi nararapat at ilegal.
“Under the Constitution, the only time the AFP is allowed to exercise the law enforcement powers of the PNP, like arresting people, is when the Commander-in-Chief calls out the AFP to suppress lawless violence,” ayon kay De Lima, na kilala ring election lawyer.
“Neither Bulay nor the COMELEC is the Commander-in-Chief. Not even during elections. The COMELEC’s deputization power during elections certainly does not include the power to use the AFP in stifling criticisms and suppressing free speech,” dagdag pa nito.
Batay sa naglabasang ulat, nagbanta umano si Bulay na hindi nito kukunsintihin ang mga insunuwasyon o alegasyon ng partisanship laban sa Comelec mula sa kandidato sa May 9 national elections o sa kanilang mga supporters.
“To those issuing public opinion that COMELEC is biased or that it would cause election fraud, I am warning you that we would not hesitate to call upon the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which is now under COMELEC control, to round you up and have you jailed,” ani Bulay.
Kinuwestiyon ni De Lima ang pangangailangang arestuhin o banta pa na arestuhin ang mga taong ginagamit lamang ang kanilang karapatan sa Konstitusyon na kalayaan sa pagsasalita at maghain ng petisyon sa gobyerno para sa pagtugon sa mga hinaing.
“Anong klaseng mga tao at abogado ba ang mga nasa poder ngayon? The lack of respect for the Constitution is disturbing, to say the least,” sabi ni De Lima.
Kinuwestiyon din ni De Lima ang lawak ng kaalaman ni Bulay sa kapangyarihan ng Comelec sa AFP.
“It is particularly worrisome that a sitting COMELEC Commissioner is entirely ignorant of the limits of the COMELEC’s powers over the AFP during elections as to usurp even the CIC powers of the President and use the AFP to bully the people. It is doubly worrisome that none of the Commissioners present with him at the COMELEC presscon yesterday even bothered to correct him,” paliwanag pa ng senador.
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