Guanzon to file charges vs. Cardema before Negros court

Commissioner Rowena Guanzon of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Monday that she would file charges against former National Youth Chairperson Ronald Cardema over Cardema's claim that Guanzon extorted P2 million from him in exchange for the Comelec allowing him to take his seat as a member of the House of Representatives.

Guanzon, who earlier denied Cardema's accusations, said she would file her case a year from now since Cardema's appeal on his disqualification as a nominee of the Duterte Youth party-list was still pending before the Comelec's First Division, of which Guanzon was a member.

“Hindi po ako magdedemanda ngayon kasi pending pa ang kaso niya. Magdemanda ako a year from now, bago mag-expire ang prescriptive period. Dun ako sa Negros [Occidental] magdedemanda,” Guanzon said on Super Radyo DZBB, referring to her home province.

“Dun sa Negros para dito siya dumaan. Kasi 'yung tatay kong 94 years old, sumasakit na ang dibdib kakapanood ng mga sinasabi niya,” Guanzon seethed.

The Comelec commissioner emphasized that Cardema was obviously lying through his teeth when he claimed that she extorted money from him, and neither did she lobby for an appointment either as a Regional Trial Court judge or a Department of Public Works and Highways director in Iloilo.

Guanzon pointed out that she had never asked politicians for any favors, and neither was she from Iloilo.

Furthermore, Cardema was evasive about naming the source of his allegations.

“Ine-extort ko raw siya, P2 million raw. Bakit hindi P20 million? Congresswoman na emissary? Hindi naman niya sinasabi ang pangalan. Anybody can make up a text message saying we [in Comelec] are corrupt,” argued Guanzon.

“Hindi nga ako taga Iloilo. Hindi kami humihinigi ng pabor sa pulitiko. Ang mga pulitiko nga ang humihingi sa amin. We (Comelec Commissioners) don't need them (politicians).”

Instead of making these unfounded accusations, Guanzon advised Cardema to focus on defending himself from his disqualification case or else file an impeachment case against Guanzon before a court.

“Mag-file siya ng impeachment [complaint], and I will fight it out. He destroyed the integrity of our institution and we will not allow that,” Guanzon added.

Cardema had been disqualified by the Comelec First Division for being over the age limit set by the party-list law for party-list representatives of the youth sector, which was 25 to 30 years old on election day.

Cardema was 34 years old during the May 13 polls, a fact that his camp did not dispute during the hearings on his case before the Comelec.

Guanzon earlier denied Cardema's accusations, pointing out that the former NYC head was attempting to manipulate her into inhibiting herself from the Cardema case, which she had refused to do.

Guanzon added that it would have been ridiculous of her to extort money from Cardema since she was much wealthier than the party-list representative aspirant. — DVM, GMA News