It’s fake, says Comelec on resolution about disqualified party-lists

AN ELECTION Commissioner on Sunday debunked a resolution circulating online on the supposed disqualification of several progressive party-list groups and a senatorial candidate.

“These are all fake resolutions, we haven’t disqualified any party-list (at this point) and we do not put ‘whereas’ in these resolutions,” Election Commissioner George Erwin M. Garcia said in an interview over DZBB radio.

He reminded voters to refer to the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) official pronouncements as well as reports by legitimate media organizations for correct information.

“Do not believe in fake news spreading on social media,” Mr. Garcia said in Filipino during a news briefing on Sunday. “We should just rely on traditional media as they give truthful and genuine news.”

The subjects of the fake resolution called on the poll body to take action against the perpetrators.

“We appeal to the Comelec to prosecute this and the conspirators because of their grave crime of using the commission’s logo and letterhead on fake documents and acting like them,” Anakpawis Party-list National President Ariel B. Casilao said in Filipino in a statement on Sunday.

“Their mission is really to deceive the voters, and sabotage the candidacy of progressive party-lists and (senatorial candidate) Neri Colmenares,” he added.

The fake document cited the disqualification of the following: Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Kabataan, Alliance of Concerned Teachers, and Gabriela. It said Mr. Colmenares, a human rights lawyer, along with the parties have been involved with terrorist groups and activities.

This is “nothing but a pathetic desperate act by anti-democratic and fascist minions of NTF-ELCAC (the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict),” said House Deputy Minority leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani T. Zarate in a statement.

Mr. Zarate challenged the poll body’s commissioners to denounce and investigate the forgery of their signatures as this undermines the credibility of their respective offices.

Makabayan said it will take legal action against those behind the posting. — John Victor D. Ordoñez and Alyssa Nicole O. Tan