Crisologo’s disqualification sought anew over arson, homicide convictions in 1970

A citizen has sought the disqualification of Quezon City Representative Vincent "Bingbong" Crisologo over his conviction for arson and arson with homicide in 1970.

In a petition before the Comelec, Sophia Lorenza Zamora argued that records from Malacañang and the Board of Pardons and Parole showed that the pardon the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos gave Crisologo was only "conditional."

"Nothing in the Conditional Pardon granted to Respondent removes his incompetency from running for and holding public office," the petition read.

"And without such an express restoration, Respondent must be deemed disqualified from being a candidate or holding public office," it added.

"As such, Respondent must be disqualified from running for City Mayor of Quezon City,” the petition read.

Zamora's counsel, Attorney Socorro Maricel Nepomuceno cited Crisologo’s conviction for arson and arson with homicide in 1970 when he was sentenced by a La Union court to two life sentences.

After serving time in prison, Nepomuceno said Crisologo was given conditional pardon in 1981 by then Pres Marcos.

Nepomuceno said they filed a case against Crisologo at the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal when Crisologo won as Quezon City district representative.

She said the HRET sided with Crisologo after he furnished the tribunal with a copy of an absolute pardon which he reportedly obtained in 1986.

But Nepomuceno said they checked with the Malacanang Records Office and only the 1981 conditional pardon was on record.

Zamora said she wanted Crisologo disqualified “para matigil na ang pambubully niya.”

She said that when she ran for barangay captain, Crisologo allegedly harassed her and bought votes against her.

‘Absolute, unconditional’

Crisologo's son Edrix Crisologo, a lawyer, disputed the petitioner’s claims and maintained that the pardon granted to his father was absolute and unconditional. 

The younger Edrix invoked that the 2004 HRET decision, which dismissed the petition questioning Bingbong’s eligibility on the same grounds, stated that “plain terms of absolute pardon granted to Crisologo left no room for doubt that the disqualification to hold public office and the deprivation of the rights to vote and be voted for were both removed.”

“Kung tinignan lamang nila ang desisyon ng HRET ay maliwanag na maliwanag po iyon. Dismissed po ang kaso, unanimous, 8-0,” Edrix said in a Facebook video posted on his father’s Facebook page on Sunday, or a day before the petition was filed.

Edrix his father had in his possession a certified true copy of the absolute pardon issued by the Malacañang Records Office dated January 24, 1986.

“Maliwanag po, it said it was an absolute and unconditional pardon which restores his civil and political rights,” Edrix said.—NB, GMA News