TAGUM CITY — A militant youth group on Friday urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to disqualify Liberal Party senatorial bet Risa Hontiveros for allegedly “plundering” PhilHealth funds and using the government’s funds for her campaign.
Anakbayan national chairperson Vencer Crisostomo said the camp of Hontiveros was “caught distributing PhilHealth IDs in exchange of votes”.
Crisostomo said the campaign team of Hontiveros “posted a photo in a social networking site Facebook with a caption that reads: PhilHealth MDRs and IDs distribution and registration with Risa Hontiveros and Akbayan Partylist.”
The distribution of the Philhealth identification cards was conducted last February 11 in which Crisostomo noted that it happened during campaign period.
“This is an illegal act. It is clearly vote-buying and using gov’t resources for personal gain,” said Crisostomo citing Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines, which prohibits vote buying and use of public funds for an election campaign.
Crisostomo also accused Hontiveros of using the funds of Philhealth for her pre-campaign advertisements such as in the bus, television and radio.
Each 30-second TV ad costs more than P800,000, he added. “Hontiveros has no background in health care, she was obviously appointed last-minute in PhilHealth just to use the agency as platform for her campaign.”
“This is despicable, knowing fully well that many Filipinos are deprived of funds for proper healthcare, here we have a PhilHealth chief spending millions of pesos for her personal gain. Many PhilHealth members are appalled.”
Anakbayan claims that Hontiveros’party Akbayan is also using their positions in government as platform for campaign.
“Among the Akbayan leaders in government are Joel Rocamora, Ronald Llamas while Akbayan Rep. Barry Gutier
rez is Mar Roxas spokesman. The donors of Hontiveros and Akbayan in 2010 include Kris Aquino, Ballsy Aquino which amounted a whopping P112 M,” the militant youth group said. (davaotoday.com)
