Lucy Torres-Gomez files disqualification cases vs. Veloso, Tacoy
Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez | CDN Digital File Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Separate disqualification cases were filed with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) by Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez against former representative and former justice Vicente Sofronio E. Veloso III, who is running for representative of the Fourth District of Leyte, and Matag-ob, Leyte Mayor Bernandino G. Tacoy, who is seeking re-election.
In each case, the ground for the petition for disqualification is a violation of Section 68(e) in relation to Section 261(e) of the Omnibus Election Code.
Section 261(e) of the Omnibus Election Code states:
“Threats, intimidation, terrorism, use of fraudulent device or other forms of coercion. – Any person who, directly or indirectly, threatens, intimidates or actually causes, inflicts or produces any violence, injury…”
As evidence in Tacoy’s case, a Facebook video that he posted—viewed 9,900 times to date—was presented.
In the video, he declared:
“In the election, it doesn’t matter if it comes down to bloodshed, if that’s what you want. But let’s commit to serving the people better. But in the coming election, if you want to take Matag-ob, blood will spill if you provoke me.”
In Veloso’s case, a video of the former justice is publicly accessible via Facebook, where he announced:
“This is what they need to remember, because I am just putting the devil to sleep inside my body. Before, I used to go to mass daily. But don’t make any effort to awaken the devil, and if the need arises for me to kill, I will kill.”
Gomez said that both videos have stirred feelings of terror among many residents of the Fourth District of Leyte.
Moreover, the acts of Tacoy and Veloso are also violations of Section 4(a) of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.
Veloso and Tacoy have yet to comment on the petition for disqualification filed by Gomez.
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