Cebu City, Philippines – The Comelec has been petitioned to reject the candidacy of the incumbent. Bohol 1st district Representative Edgar Chatto on accusations of vote-buying .
Three individuals from Bohol, represented by their lawyer Atty. Mark Dave Josol, filed complaints against Chatto. They allege that the congressman’s representatives disseminated envelopes holding P1, 000 cash attached to promotional materials featuring the slogan: "1 CHATTO EDGAR CONGRESSMAN."
"The act constitutes an overt case of vote-buying and poses a significant danger to our democratic procedures," stated the petitioners.
"We are submitting this not just to maintain the honesty of the elections but also to guarantee that upcoming elections are devoid of intimidation and graft," they further stated.
Chatto, an experienced politician and ex-Bohol governor, is aiming for another term in the upcoming midterm elections. As of now, he has not made any comments regarding this. disqualification case Chatto told the residents of Bohol’s 1st district that should he win a third term, he would ensure completion of ongoing projects and unaddressed legislation.
"Edgar Chatto aimed to achieve this uncompleted illegal activity and project for our city, District One, and our province of Bohol within three years during his last term," he stated in a Facebook post on May 9th.
During the final years of Edgar Chatto’s last term, I am committed to completing all outstanding projects and legislations that will enhance the welfare of the first district in the province of Bohol.
Vote-buying
The petition for disqualification submitted to the Comelec office located in Intramuros, Manila, filed by Sylvia Nistal Matig-a from Dauis, Vir Joshua Malubay from Calape, and Jose Pizarras Mascariñas from Loon, alleged that on May 11, each of them were given P1, 000 in cash attached to a campaign material.
The funds and campaign materials were handed out by individuals working with the Respondent stating, 'It’s hard to forget Cong.'
The people who filed the petition argued that handing out the funds went against the Omnibus Election Code. This code bans vote-buying, described as "providing or offering money or valuable items to encourage voters to back a specific candidate."
According to Section 68 of the code, this offense can lead to disqualification.