By Ducky Paredes
THE House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) will convene on Thursday, August 28, 2014 but a draft decision of the would-be hearing has already been leaked.
Allegedly prepared by a prominent Associate Justice of the Supreme Court who also sits as a member of the HRET, the draft decision has been circulated among members of the HRET to pre-condition and influence their disposition on the case.
Clearly, the draft decision seeks to uphold the decision of the COMELEC and the Supreme Court to disqualify Rep. Regina Reyes in favor of the son of fellow Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco, who clearly lost the election to Reyes.
The camp of Congresswoman Regina Reyes discovered the draft being circulated now amongst HRET members. A copy was given to her confidentially by a co-member of Congress who happened to get a copy. This alarming incident comes on the heels of a very disturbing rumor that, only recently, some members of the HRET were wined and dined in New York by a relative of Lord Alan Velasco, Rep. Reyes’s rival in Marinduque.
In the light of these developments, Ms. Reyes calls on the members of the HRET to stand by their conviction and not be swayed by the immoral moves of her rivals and their cohorts. Moreover, she calls on the House Speaker, as a daughter would to her father, to protect the dignity of her proclamation as well as the integrity of the entire House of Representatives by granting her a fair hearing.
Rep. Regina Reyes asks that the HRET review the decision of the Comelec regarding her case. She asks the HRET to consider whether there is sufficient and justifiable evidence, and whether the decision will be beyond reasonable doubt since the only evidence against her is an internet blog by a certain person who was never even called by the Comelec in any of its hearings to testify personally -- that in fact he does not exist and that, indeed, he is the author of the blog.
Rep. Regina Reyes bewails the fact that to this date, neither the Comelec nor the Supreme Court have even ascertained that the blogger even exits.
Ironically for the Comelec which voted en banc, its own Chairman, Commissioner Sixto Brillantes filed a dissenting opinion against the disqualification decision, saying that the evidence at hand was merely hearsay. When another piece of evidence -- a mere Xerox copy of a document from the Bureau of Immigration purportedly showing that Rep. Reyes was using a foreign passport was not even certified by anyone as being a true copy- was presented to the Comelec , Commissioner Sixto Brillantes went so far as to say, that the evidence only became double hearsay. In this new evidence presentation, the signatory of the document was likewise never called in to testify as to the authenticity of his existence as well as that of the document.
Rep. Regina Reyes also calls on the HRET for her to be allowed to testify at the hearing and present her own evidences to prove she accomplished all the requirements that entitled her to run for the Marinduque congressional seat. This constitutional right of hers was violated by both the Comelec and the Supreme Court when they refused to allow her to present her side and show her proofs of compliance.
Rep. Regina Reyes also calls on the members of Congress to be vigilant and scrutinize very well any development or rumor leading to the hearing of her case on the 28th of this month. She also calls on the 170 or so colleagues of hers who rallied for her and signed House Resolution 597 declaring that all election matters pertaining to elected members of the House fall under the jurisdiction of the HRET and not the Supreme Court. Based on the draft decision prepared by an Associate justice of the Supreme Court and a known close friend of Justice Presbitero Velasco, which is now being circulated in the House, clearly the Supreme Court wishes to impose its decision and will upon the House and its members, and in an utmost immoral manner.
1. Regina Reyes filed her Certificate of Candidacy (COC). Her sole opponent was Lord Alan Velasco, the incumbent Congressman and most importantly, the son of Senior Associate SC Justice Presbitero Velasco, who also happens to be the incumbent Chairman of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET).
2. A certain Joseph Tan filed a Petition to Cancel her COC on October 12, 2012.
3. On February 7, 2013, Tan submitted additional evidence primarily a blog article on the internet by a certain Eliseo Obligacion and an alleged Certification from the Bureau of Immigration and Detention (BID) of Regina’s alleged travel records using a U.S. passport up to June 30, 2012.
4. On March 27, 2013, the Comelec 1st Division cancelled her COC without allowing Regina Reyes to examine or introduce evidence to support her stand that she never lost her natural born citizenship.
5. Regina Reyes filed a Motion for Reconsideration (MR) with the Comelec 1st Division.
6. The May 13, 2013 elections were held. Regina Reyes won the election, defeating Lord Alan Velasco by almost 4,000 votes.
7. On May 14, 2013, the Comelec en banc denied Reyes MR but this Order was not served on the Provincial Board of Canvassers.
8. On May 15, 2013, the Provincial Board of Canvassers proclaimed Regina Reyes as the winner.
9. On May 18, 2013, another proclamation was again conducted by the Provincial Board of Canvassers proclaiming Reyes as the winner.
Now the clear election winner will be disqualified because of a decision of the HRET written by a Supreme Court justice who is clearly biased for the son of a Supreme Court justice who would have the HRET disqualify the winner by 4,000 votes over the son of an SC member. How crass and unfair can SC justices stoop to serve their own ends!
***
Readers who missed a column can access www.duckyparedes.com/blogs. This is updated daily. Your reactions are welcome at duckyparedes@gmail.com or you can send me a message through Twitter @diretsahan.
- See more at: http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/opinion/sc-shows-its-ugly-face
By Ducky Paredes
THE House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) will convene on Thursday, August 28, 2014 but a draft decision of the would-be hearing has already been leaked.
Allegedly prepared by a prominent Associate Justice of the Supreme Court who also sits as a member of the HRET, the draft decision has been circulated among members of the HRET to pre-condition and influence their disposition on the case.
Clearly, the draft decision seeks to uphold the decision of the COMELEC and the Supreme Court to disqualify Rep. Regina Reyes in favor of the son of fellow Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco, who clearly lost the election to Reyes.
The camp of Congresswoman Regina Reyes discovered the draft being circulated now amongst HRET members. A copy was given to her confidentially by a co-member of Congress who happened to get a copy. This alarming incident comes on the heels of a very disturbing rumor that, only recently, some members of the HRET were wined and dined in New York by a relative of Lord Alan Velasco, Rep. Reyes’s rival in Marinduque.
In the light of these developments, Ms. Reyes calls on the members of the HRET to stand by their conviction and not be swayed by the immoral moves of her rivals and their cohorts. Moreover, she calls on the House Speaker, as a daughter would to her father, to protect the dignity of her proclamation as well as the integrity of the entire House of Representatives by granting her a fair hearing.
Rep. Regina Reyes asks that the HRET review the decision of the Comelec regarding her case. She asks the HRET to consider whether there is sufficient and justifiable evidence, and whether the decision will be beyond reasonable doubt since the only evidence against her is an internet blog by a certain person who was never even called by the Comelec in any of its hearings to testify personally -- that in fact he does not exist and that, indeed, he is the author of the blog.
Rep. Regina Reyes bewails the fact that to this date, neither the Comelec nor the Supreme Court have even ascertained that the blogger even exits.
Ironically for the Comelec which voted en banc, its own Chairman, Commissioner Sixto Brillantes filed a dissenting opinion against the disqualification decision, saying that the evidence at hand was merely hearsay. When another piece of evidence -- a mere Xerox copy of a document from the Bureau of Immigration purportedly showing that Rep. Reyes was using a foreign passport was not even certified by anyone as being a true copy- was presented to the Comelec , Commissioner Sixto Brillantes went so far as to say, that the evidence only became double hearsay. In this new evidence presentation, the signatory of the document was likewise never called in to testify as to the authenticity of his existence as well as that of the document.
Rep. Regina Reyes also calls on the HRET for her to be allowed to testify at the hearing and present her own evidences to prove she accomplished all the requirements that entitled her to run for the Marinduque congressional seat. This constitutional right of hers was violated by both the Comelec and the Supreme Court when they refused to allow her to present her side and show her proofs of compliance.
Rep. Regina Reyes also calls on the members of Congress to be vigilant and scrutinize very well any development or rumor leading to the hearing of her case on the 28th of this month. She also calls on the 170 or so colleagues of hers who rallied for her and signed House Resolution 597 declaring that all election matters pertaining to elected members of the House fall under the jurisdiction of the HRET and not the Supreme Court. Based on the draft decision prepared by an Associate justice of the Supreme Court and a known close friend of Justice Presbitero Velasco, which is now being circulated in the House, clearly the Supreme Court wishes to impose its decision and will upon the House and its members, and in an utmost immoral manner.
1. Regina Reyes filed her Certificate of Candidacy (COC). Her sole opponent was Lord Alan Velasco, the incumbent Congressman and most importantly, the son of Senior Associate SC Justice Presbitero Velasco, who also happens to be the incumbent Chairman of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET).
2. A certain Joseph Tan filed a Petition to Cancel her COC on October 12, 2012.
3. On February 7, 2013, Tan submitted additional evidence primarily a blog article on the internet by a certain Eliseo Obligacion and an alleged Certification from the Bureau of Immigration and Detention (BID) of Regina’s alleged travel records using a U.S. passport up to June 30, 2012.
4. On March 27, 2013, the Comelec 1st Division cancelled her COC without allowing Regina Reyes to examine or introduce evidence to support her stand that she never lost her natural born citizenship.
5. Regina Reyes filed a Motion for Reconsideration (MR) with the Comelec 1st Division.
6. The May 13, 2013 elections were held. Regina Reyes won the election, defeating Lord Alan Velasco by almost 4,000 votes.
7. On May 14, 2013, the Comelec en banc denied Reyes MR but this Order was not served on the Provincial Board of Canvassers.
8. On May 15, 2013, the Provincial Board of Canvassers proclaimed Regina Reyes as the winner.
9. On May 18, 2013, another proclamation was again conducted by the Provincial Board of Canvassers proclaiming Reyes as the winner.
Now the clear election winner will be disqualified because of a decision of the HRET written by a Supreme Court justice who is clearly biased for the son of a Supreme Court justice who would have the HRET disqualify the winner by 4,000 votes over the son of an SC member. How crass and unfair can SC justices stoop to serve their own ends!
***
Readers who missed a column can access www.duckyparedes.com/blogs. This is updated daily. Your reactions are welcome at duckyparedes@gmail.com or you can send me a message through Twitter @diretsahan.
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