Walden Bello slams Comelec for getting ‘intimidated’ by Pacquiao

Former Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello on Thursday slammed the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for allegedly taking a “cowardly stance” in connection with his petition for the poll body to stop the upcoming match between his fellow senatorial candidate, incumbent Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao and American boxer Timothy Bradley Jr.

“It is disgraceful for the Comelec to refuse to take a position and take action on a violation of rules that it is mandated to uphold,” Bello said at a press conference in Quezon City.

Senatorial candidate Walden Bello says Comelec decision not to stop Pacquiao's fight is a blow to Fair Elections Law pic.twitter.com/D3RSxlPhGM

— Elizabeth T. Marcelo (@marcelo_beth) March 31, 2016

Bello was referring to the pronouncement of Comelec chairman Andres Bautista on Tuesday that the poll body “is not in the position” to stop the boxing match set on April 9.

Bautista cited three grounds for not acting on Bello’s petition, first, that there was no formal complaint filed in accordance with Comelec rules and procedures; second, that the fight has not occurred yet; and third, that there is no justifiable controversy to stop the match.

For Bello, however, the Comelec’s decision was just a sign of “cowardice” as it allegedly does not want to have a bad image with the public if it rules to stop the fight of Pacquiao, who is also dubbed as the “People’s Champ.”

“The reason is not legal but political. Clearly, the Comelec was intimidated by a boxing personality… It is an act of political cowardice,” Bello said.

“Talagang na-knock out sila (Comelec) ni Manny Pacquiao,” he added.

Bello slammed the Comelec for saying that there is no formal complaint regarding the upcoming match, insisting that the petition he filed last month asking the poll body to look into the fight’s possible violation of fair election rules, is already considered a “complaint.”

“What do you think of this? This is a formal complaint, a formal petition. It was in fact requested by Comelec chair Bautista. We went through the process in filing this,” Bello said, showing to the media the copy of his petition.

In his petition filed on February 22, Bello said Pacquiao "should be required to go on leave" from professional boxing during the campaign period as his upcoming match “will surely give him extensive media exposure."

Bello said the Comelec should have at least made a decision on his petition instead of merely saying that it is not in the position to stop the boxing match.

"Ang tingin ho talaga namin is that the Comelec has grounds to stop this fight but it abdicated from its responsibility…. We expected them to make a decision on this, whether to allow the fight to go on or not. Instead they take the easy way out, perpetuating the lie na wala daw formal complaint,” Bello said.

Bello added he will no longer file a motion for reconsideration of the Comelec’s ruling and instead will just file a criminal complaint against Pacquiao if the lawmaker decides to push through with his fight on April 9.

Bello said he will also file a disqualification case against Pacquiao if the latter goes on with the fight in April and wins a Senate seat in May.

Bello maintained that the media exposure that Pacquiao will get during the pre-fight, actual fight, and post-fight is a violation of Republic Act 9006 or the Fair Elections Act, which mandates uniform airtime limits for candidates. —KG, GMA News