TAGUM CITY — A poll watchdog has filed a complaint against Liberal Party’s standard bearers Manuel “Mar” Roxas and Leni Robredo for using a “Daang Matuwid” nickname in the official election ballots.
Kontra Daya asserted that the use of “Daang Matuwid” nickname violates Rule II Sections 4, 5 and 7 of the Comelec Resolution No. 9984. “Daang Matuwid is not these candidates’ nicknames or the names they are generally or popularly known.”
The poll watchdog claims that in the case of Robredo, it already exceeded the 30-character limitation by including spaces and “( )”, as specified by Section 7. Kontra Daya said the poll body failed to correct in what they described as both “misrepresentations and violations of the rules.”
Kontra Daya in its April 22 statement said it appeared before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to denounce and ask the poll body for the removal of all campaign materials that bore such nickname. The poll watchdog deemed these campaign materials as “illegal.”
“The Comelec Legal Department and the en banc committed grave abuse of discretion when it allowed “DaangMatuwid” to appear as the nicknames of the two candidates in the official ballots. It is obvious that the names appearing in the official ballot pertaining to these candidates violate several election laws,” the group said.
According to the group, LP’s Roxas and Robredo’s campaign materials were “paid for or otherwise produced using public funds and resources. These have become political advertisement or election propaganda.”
Kontra Daya said it denounced this so-called “opportunistic and sneaky manner of making a mockery of our election rules.” The poll watchdog maintains that the “Liberal Party and its standard bearers should be held accountable. (davaotoday.com)
