Roxas madi-disqualify sa paglabag sa SOCE

MAGWAGI man si Manuel “Mar” Roxas III sa nalalapit na halalan, puwede siyang ma-disqualify sanhi ng misrepresentation at late filing ng kanyang Statement of Contributions and Ex­penses (SOCE) sa pre­sidential elections noong 2016.

Sa memorandum ng Department of Interior and Local Government na may pamagat na “Manuel Araneta Roxas II—2016 Elections Undeclared Campaign Expenditures” nitong 31 Enero 2019, malinaw na nilabag ni Roxas ang Section 14 ng Republic Act 7166 na nag-oobliga sa lahat ng kandidato at teso­rero ng partido politikal na i-file ang buo, totoo at itemized na statemement ng lahat ng kontribusyon at gastos na may kaugnayan sa halalan.

Ngunit nag-file si Roxas ng kanyang SOCE noong 22 Hunyo 2016 kaya lumagpas sa takdang deadline nang 14 na araw at naging ikala­wang kasalanan ni Roxas ang hindi pagbubunyag ng kanyang hindi nabayarang pagkakautang nang milyon-milyong piso sa campaign service providers na dapat ding nakatala sa kanyang SOCE.

Sinabi ng isang service provider na tumangging ipabanggit ng pangalan na matagal na nilang sinisingil si Roxas pero hindi na sila pinapansin nito na tumatak­bo ngayong senador sa ilalim ng Otso Diretso.

“Given the breadth of tasks rendered by the campaign service providers to Mr. Roxas and the Liberal Party, their charges amounted to several millions of pesos, an amount which Mar Roxas, being the scion of one of wealthiest families in the Philippines, could easily afford and committed to pay,” ayon sa service provider.

“After all the charges already included expenses for organizing and con­ducting the campaign rallies, the cost of manpower, and service fees. However in evident of bad faith, after losing in the 2016 National Elections to the current President, Mar Roxas, in breach of his undertaking to the service providers, failed to pay for the services rendered in his and the Liberal Party’s favor.”

Idinagdag ng service provider, kung ilang ulit nilang tinangkang singilin si Roxas pero hindi na sila binayaran sa serbisyong ibinigay nila sa buong LP.

“Despite several demands to settle his obligations, neither Mar Roxas nor the Liberal Party offered to compensate the service providers for work rendered by the latter in good faith, and in accor­dance with their agreement with Mar Roxas,” dagdag ng service provider.

Kinuwestiyon din sa memorandum ang hinihi­nalang malaking ginastos ng Araneta Center Inc. (ACI) sa kampanya ni Roxas na paglabag sa Section 36 ng Corporate Code na nagsa­sabing, “No corporation, domestic or foreign, shall give donations in aid of any political party or candidate for purposes of partisan political activity” at naka­saad din ito sa Section 4, Rule 10 ng COMELEC Reso­lution 1991 kaya malinaw na may mga paglabag sa batas si Roxas.