COMELEC to get new home in Pasay

COMELEC to get new home in Pasay

By:  Mayen Jaymalin

The Philippine Star, 13 February 2012

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is finally getting a new home after the poll body purchased a lot along Roxas Boulevard worth P1.2 billion where their new building would be built soon.

“The building will come in a few years later, this is a long-term plan and an investment as well,” Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said.

COMELEC Bldg. at Palacio del Gobernador

Brillantes said the poll body had decided to build a new office building, five years after a fire gutted their old headquarters in Intramuros, Manila.

The poll body is currently leasing the 5th, 7th, and 8th floors of the Palacio del Gobernador building in Intramuros beside the Manila Cathedral.

Brillantes said the poll body bought the lot at the reclamation area near EDSA in Pasay City from their budget of P3.2 billion.

He said they intend to build a three building compound with the main structure planned to be an 11-story structure that would house the administrative offices.

“It will be very convenient for everybody,” said Brillantes.

At this time, the Comelec is the only constitutional body that does not have its own offices.

Brillantes said he hopes to complete the project before he steps down from office in 2015.

COMELEC approves case against Sabio

By:  Herbie Gomez

Mindanao Gold StarDaily 

9 February 2012

2010 ELECTION MESS AT 'BASURAHAN'

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has held former Cagayan de Oro elections officer Gina Zayas Sabio liable in connection with the mysterious dumping of election materials at the Carmen wasteyard in May 2010, ex-senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said yesterday.

Pimentel filed a complaint against Sabio for violation of the Omnibus Election Code nearly two years ago on behalf of Eduardo Homeres Sr., a resident of Barangay Puntod.

"After one year and nine months of investigation, the Comelec ordered the filing of criminal charges against Sabio over the dumping of election materials at the Cagayan de Oro garbage site," said Pimentel.  In a 21-page ruling last Jan. 24, the Comelec en banc ordered the Commission's legal department to press charges against Sabio.

"[The] Commission en banc resolves to hold that probable cause exists against respondent Atty. Gina Luna B. Zayas-Sabio for violation" of sections of the Omnibus Election Code, reads part of the ruling.  The resolution was signed by Elections Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. and commissioners Rene Sarmiento, Armando Velasco, Christian Robert Lim, Lucenito Tagle, Elias Yusoph and Augusto Lagman.  Copies of the Comelec decision were sent to Homeres through Pimentel, Sabio, the provincial election supervisor and the regional director of the Comelec last Jan. 28.  

The Comelec en banc affirmed and adopted the findings and recommendations of an investigator from the Commission's legal department on July 11, 2011.  The investigator recommended the filing of criminal charges against Sabio before a regional court in the city for violation of provisions in at least two sections of the Omnibus Election Code.

In his complaint, Homeres held Sabio "directly liable for having committed election offenses and criminal acts by reason of removal, destruction, concealment of vital election documents and paraphernalia."  Under the law, Homeres said, "these very important documents are supposed to be in [Sabio's] legal custody for safekeeping, preservation, and protection and should not be thrown away as garbage."

In a May 2010 interview, Sabio maintained her innocence, and said had no idea how sacks of election materials ended up at the city dump in Carmen and a junkyard in Puntod.

The find sparked a controversy and raised serious questions on the 2010 election victory of Mayor Vicente Emano who, based on Sabio's count, was only ahead of his rival, ex-congressman Rolando Uy, by a little over 2,000 votes.  

The polling materials were taken by the Comelec to its Manila office after an inventory at the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting headquarters at the Fatima church in Barangay Camaman-an.