By Beverly T. Natividad
Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines–If the police can’t do it, perhaps the citizenry can.
Now considered as a “fugitive from justice,” Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol is now being offered for citizen arrest.
As Bedol continued to evade an arrest warrant issued against him, Commission on Elections Acting Chairman Resurreccion Borra cited on Monday the right and the power of every citizen to arrest the poll supervisor on site and bring him to the nearest local police.
“Any arrest is welcome for that matter as long as he’s incarcerated,” said Borra in an interview.
Despite media reports that Bedol has been able to dodge arrest in Maguindanao, Borra said as of Monday, the Comelec was awaiting a formal report from Chief Supt. Joel R. Goltiao, the Philippine National Police (PNP) director of ARMM, regarding the matter.
“He is a professional soldier so he has to make a professional report to tell us of his compliance or non-compliance with Bedol’s arrest order,” said Borra.
The ARMM police chief, he said, has not contacted any of the poll body commissioners to apprise them of the situation. He added the Comelec needed Goltiao’s official report on Bedol to have a formal basis in evaluating and acting on the situation.
Before government offices took a break for the long “All Saints’” weekend, the Comelec sent a resolution compelling Goltiao to carry out the warrant of arrest against Bedol issued last Oct. 23.
The Comelec felt that Goltiao was “dilly-dallying” in his implementation of the arrest warrant.
Talking to the media last Saturday, Goltiao announced that the ARMM police was unable to track down Bedol in Maguindanao.
The warrant of arrest against Bedol was based on the Comelec’s August 2007 ruling which found him guilty of indirect contempt. His conviction was based, among others, on his failure to appear before the Comelec despite repeated summons to answer questions on alleged cheating activities in Maguindanao.
The Comelec is still set to file new charges against Bedol for various violations of the Civil Service law.
2 Feedbacks on "Comelec calls for citizen’s arrest of Bedol"
Bert
Easier said than done. Wife said Bedol left home with batalion of soldiers with him. And he’s known to brandish high-powered firearms himself in public. Now here is a private citizen, patriotic enough to do the bidding of Comelec, who in the first place is the former coddler of Bedol, trying to do a citizen’s arrest. Said the private citizen, “By the power vested on me by the constitution, I hereby arrest you by virtue of a Comelec’s order.” Bedol, itchy finger on the trigger of a menacing .45, and the soldiers, with mirth on their eyes, look at the private citizen with contempt, then walk away. Thank heavens.
Salina
How can anybody arrest Bedol when Gloria Arroyo, The one protecting him.
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