Ex-poll chief Abalos' son bares 'plan' to turn 2 poll supervisors into state witnesses vs his father

Mandaluyong Mayor Benhur Abalos on Tuesday bared an alleged plan by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to "persecute" his father, former Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos, by dropping the electoral sabotage charges against two provincial poll supervisors in Mindanao and making them state witnesses in the case.   During a press conference in Manila, Mayor Abalos claimed receiving information that the Comelec is planning to turn lawyers Lilian Suan Radam and Yogi Martirizar into state witnesses against his father. He, however, refused to identify the source of his information.   Abalos, Radam and Martirizar are respondents in an electoral sabotage case filed by the Comelec in connection with the alleged rigging in the 2007 midterm elections. Also accused are former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., and former Maguindanao provincial poll supervisor Lintang Bedol.   In a phone interview with GMA News Online, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez refused to confirm nor deny Mayor Abalos' accusation. "We don't really deal with rumor...hindi namin inaaddress yung rumors.  Tingnan na lang natin ang gagawin ng prosecution," he said.   Radam was poll supervisor in South Cotabato, while Martirizar was poll supervisor in North Cotabato during the 2007 elections.    In January 2008, the Comelec law department recommended the filing of charges against Radam for electoral sabotage, ordinary election offense, and falsification by public officer. Martirizar, meanwhile, was order indicted by the Comelec for electoral sabotage in September of the same year.   Mayor Abalos claimed a paper is being planned to be circulated among Comelec commissioners to get their signatures to drop the charges against Radam and Martirazar.   "Sa mga susunod na araw, ang Comelec nasa Baguio, may nakapagsabi sa aming pamilya na may papaikuting papel ngayon at papipirmahin ang commissioners upang i-withdraw ang kaso kay Martirizar at Radam na limang taong naging fugitive from justice," he said.   "Ito ay sukdulang pang-aapi at pang-aabuso na ng posisyon," he added.   Mayor Abalos said Radam and Martirizar should not be converted into witnesses because they are not the least guilty in the charge. He stressed that the judge handling the case has the final say if the charges should be dropped.   Mayor Abalos said multiple Comelec commissions under his father, former poll chief Jose Melo, and current poll chief Sixto Brillantes all found Martirizar and Radam to be directly involved in the alleged poll fraud in 2007.   "Never have they [Comelec] mentioned the name of my father until a few months ago," said Mayor Abalos, referring to the poll sabotage case filed by the Comelec.   Mayor Abalos said the Comelec's plan to make Martirizar and Radam turn against his father was a "last ditch effort" to pin his father down, especially since the poll sabotage case, currently pending with a Pasay City court, is already "crumbling."   "Kung mangyayari ito, sukdulan po ito... They would move heaven and earth just so my father would be persecuted," Mayor Abalos said.    Mayor Abalos suspected that the Comelec would be forced to turn the two election supervisors into state witness, especially since the court handling the case had said his father's bail request would already be moved for resolution if the Comelec would not be able to present any witnesses against the former poll chief.   Asked if he thinks Malacañang has a hand in the "persecution" of his father, the younger Abalos said: "I am confining my statement to the institution of government handling the case against my father, which is the Comelec." - with Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMA News