PDP-Laban President Sen. Koko Pimentel III on Monday assured the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and its employees that the party will conduct an inquiry and immediately act on reports that a PDP-Laban candidate for board member in Tarlac had allegedly slapped a COMELEC election officer who was removing illegaly posted campaign materials.
“Let me state for the record that PDP-Laban supports all COMELEC efforts to crack down on election offenses. Election officers should be allowed to do their jobs and remove all illegally-posted campaign materials. All of these should be taken down, regardless of who the candidate is,” said the reelectionist senator from Mindanao.
“I have always been an advocate for electoral reforms, and these will only be possible if the COMELEC is allowed to perform its mandate without fear,” added Pimentel, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation.
“Election officers should be allowed to do their jobs and remove all illegally-posted campaign materials.”
Pimentel said PDP-Laban will immediately investigate the actions of Tarlac Board Member candidate Atty. Marty Franz Toralba, and that if reports that he slapped Tarlac Election Officer Teddy Mariano are confirmed and validated, PDP-Laban will not hesitate to expel the lawyer from the party.
“There is no place in the party for candidates who physically attack individuals who are just performing their duties. As a lawyer, Atty. Toralba should know that if he disagrees with the actions of Mr. Mariano, there are proper remedies under the law,” stressed Pimentel, who finished law at the University of the Philippines and topped the Bar in 1990.
“Resorting to physical force was unnecessary and unjustifiable. Comelec should file the appropriate charges and hold him accountable for his actions.”
