Yt Framework

An official of the Commission on Elections the other day disclosed the Omnibus Election Code provides a five-year period for the individual’s rights of suffrage to be restored back after being imprisoned due to the commission of a crime.

Comelec PIO James Jimenez, in an interview over RMN said, in the case of former Zamboanga del Norte Congressman Romeo Jalosjos, the Comelec will have to coordinate with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to determine the exact date of the latter's release from prison.

Jimenez was reacting to questions posed by anchormen Teodiver Arquiza and Joel Toledo Sanson with regards to the twin petitions filed by Jomar Lobregat and District 1 Congresswoman Isabelle Climaco-Salazar urging the Comelec to disallow Jalosjos from registering as a voter in District 2 for reasons he already lost his perpetual rights to vote or be voted upon.

The petitions states that Jalosjos committed the crime of Statutory rape and six counts of acts of lasciviousness and was sentenced to life imprisonment, thus loses his rights of suffrage.

“It is a matter of determining what the facts are. Comelec will coordinate with the BJMP to establish the exact date he was released from detention then that is where we start counting the years if he will be qualified to run in the 2013 elections,” Jimenez pointed out.

He said even if there was an executive intervention but Jalosjos should meet the five years period starting from the time he was released from jail up to next year which is the scheduled elections.

by: Nonong Santiago