This was the challenge given by Commission on Election (Comelec) officials to Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales who said some candidates have been trying to bribe poll officials to manipulate the result of the upcoming elections.
"We hope that the secretary can give us proof of what he's saying and we will act on it swiftly," said Comelec spokesman James Jimenez in an interview Thursday.
Gonzales, during the Bishops-Ulama Conference in Davao City on Wednesday night, said aside from Comelec officials, military and police personnel are also being bribed to allegedly participate in the rigging of the elections.
He, however, said that based on information reaching him, no Comelec official had accepted the money. He also did not identify the candidates allegedly giving the bribe.
Jimenez, nevertheless, said Gonzales’ statement had “maligned" the Comelec.
"Please, can we ask him to be very circumspect? He maligned Comelec officials, he maligned the entire Commission," he said.
Jimenez said government officials should be careful with their statements especially if it could affect the credibility of the elections. "We caution and we hope that people will be more circumspect in what they say. Let's be very careful," he said.
Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III likewise scored Gonzales for allegedly treating all critics of the Arroyo administration as destabilizers.
“Si Secretary Gonzales naman kasi with all due respect given his age ang daming beses na pag tumaligsa sa [administration], destabilizer. So lahat kami destabilizers sa pananaw niya," he said.
(With all due respect, Gonzales looks at all critics of government as destabilizers. So as far as he is concerned, all of us are destabilizers.)
He denied that their camp is involved in the alleged bribery, saying LP has no money for it. “Di siguro kami nanunuhol. Kami binibigyan ng pera ng supporter naming (We don’t resort to bribery. It is us who receive money from our supporters)." - KBK
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