Comelec checks mall owners

THE OWNERS OF eight shopping malls being considered as polling centers for next year’s elections have no political affiliations, an initial background check by the Commission on Elections showed.

In a briefing, Comelec Chair Andres Bautista said the election agency scrutinized the Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCEs) submitted by candidates in 2010 and 2013 to check for political ties to mall owners who have signified their intent to allow voting in their establishments next year.

“We did not find any names like Henry Sy or Ayala. We didn’t find any of their names [in the SOCE],” said Bautista.

The potential mall partners are SM Supermalls, Ayala Malls, Robinsons Malls, Gaisano Grand Malls, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls, Pacific Malls/Metro Gaisano, Fisher Mall and Walter Mart Community Malls.

Bautista said excluded were malls owned by politicians, like the Gateway Mall and other Araneta Malls and StarMalls, owned by the families of Mar Roxas and former Sen. Manny Villar, respectively.