MANltA" PHIIIPPINES I TUESDAY 30 APRIL 2019
Crisologo disqualification sought
natnst f. hb
Bt
Quezon City mayoral bet Vincent
"Bingbong" ftisologo's candidacy
in the May elections is now
hanging by a thread after a
disqualification case against him
vas liled before the Commission of
nections (Comelec) on lvtronday.
Sophia Lorenza Xamora, a
concemed taxpayer and resident
of Quezon City, Iiled the petition over
Crisologo's alleged lack of a.n absolute
pardon concerning his double life
imlrisorunent senience for arson ard a,rson
with homicide.
"If a person is convicted of a crime
penalized by more than E months or a
crime irvohing moraltutpitude, such person
is disqualified ftom being a candidate and
t0 hold ary ofrce,' the disqualification
petition mid.
In 19?0, Cdsologo was cotwicted for
one case of atson a,rd a secord case of
arson with homicide for ihe buming of
Baxangals Ora Centro ald Ora Este in
Barrtay Ilocos Sur,
He was then meted out double Me
- imprisonment in a 0iminal cout
in La Union, for {hich{4sologo
served time in jail.
In 1981, Crisologo received a
conditional pa.rdon ftom former
President Ferdinand Marcos.
He then allegedy received an
absolute pardon on 24 JanuarY
1986, which later permitted him to run
for senator u.nder the Nacionalista Party
in 1992.
However, in the disqualification
petition filed, documents from the
Ma.lacafrang Records ofrice showed he
was only granted conditional paxdon but
for an eadier date, 14 JanuarY $81.
'Ihe petition aleged that the Boaxd of
Pardors and Pa,role has n0
uoficial records
\ rtAq,e_Pu
or documents' in their custody save for
an index caxd, showing thal Crisologo was
ganted a conditional paxdon.
"Nol,hing in the conditional pardon
granted to respondent removes his
incompgtency from running for and
holding public offlrce. And without such
an express restoration' respondent must
be deemed disqualified ftolll being a
candidate or holding public office," the
petitlon said.
Abcording to tlte petitioner, Crisologo's
pa.rdon was first questioned at the llouse 0f
Representatives Electoral Tribural when
Crisolog0 was elected as Representative of
Quezon City's lst District in 2004
0n 27 May 2004, Atty. Moises Samson
filed a petidon for qun unrmnlP aglaind'
Crisologo after tlle larter was pmclaimed
as winner. ciLingrlur the conditional pardon
issued by former hesident Marcos lkewise
did not restore Crisologo's dght to hold
public ofrice. r