FORMER Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. yesterday was ordered by the Pasay City court judge handling the electoral sabotage complaint against him to show cause why he should not be cited for contempt after he complained of an extortion attempt by persons purportedly sent by the judge.

In a tension-filled hearing, Abalos asked Pasay City Regional Trial Court Presiding Judge Jesus Mupas to inhibit from his case, claiming that emissaries from the judge, including a female lawyer whom he did not name, asked money amounting to P100 million and P30 million from his camp on separate occasions in exchange for granting his petitions.

The former poll chief alleged the extortion attempts took place after charges were filed against him. He said he immediately refused the extortion but the alleged emissaries lowered their demand, which he again refused.

Abalos’ counsel Brigido Dulay said they will ask for a copy of the footages taken by Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in the hotel where the alleged extortion attempt took place.

At the same time, he said it would be better if the judge excused himself from hearing the case.

Dulay stressed Mupas could inhibit since there are 12 other judges in Pasay City RTC who could take over his client’s case.

However, Mupas strongly denied Abalos’ accusation and said the former poll top official has until Monday to show cause why he should not be cited for contempt.

Mupas is also handling the same case filed against former president and now Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her co-accused, former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. and former election supervisor Lintang Bedol.

Abalos appeared at Mupas’ sala Friday for the hearing of his petitions for house arrest and to be allowed to post bail. The court has yet to resolve the petitions.

Electoral sabotage is a non-bailable offense, especially if the evidence against the accused is strong, but Abalos’s camp said the prosecution’s case is weak and that it only relied on the testimonies of two former election supervisors of South and North Cotabato, Yogie Martirizar and Lilian Suan-Radam, whom the former poll chief had sued for irregularities in the 2007 mid-term elections.

Martirizar and Radam said Abalos ordered them to rig the results of that election in Mindanao in favor of the administration candidates.

Martirizar, Radam and Capt. Peter Reyes of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines were earlier ordered arrested by Mupas for the alleged poll fraud.

After the tense hearing Abalos was brought back to his detention cell at the headquarters of the Southern Police District in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City where he has been held since Tuesday. 

Cell okay

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo yesterday inspected Abalos’ prison cell.

Abalos is detained at the Southern Police District on charges of electoral sabotage, the same case former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is facing.

While Abalos is under the custody of the SPD, Arroyo is now at the Veteran’s Memorial Medical Center.

“Okay naman yong kuwarto ni Abalos, naka-aircon s’ya pero may rehas na para talagang kulungan,” Robredo told reporters at the Christmas Party of the DILG Press Corps.

Earlier, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology said that it will accept Abalos if the court ruled that the former Comelec head should be under its custody.

BJMP chief Director Rosendo Dial said that since Abalos’ case was filed in Pasay City, he should be confined at the Pasay City Jail.

Dial,  however, said they will request the court to transfer Abalos to the much bigger Metro Manila District Jail in Bicutan, Taguig.  

“Syempre kilalang tao yan, maraming dalaw kaya du’n natin sya ilalagay sa MMDJ dahil medyo maluwag ang visiting area du’n,” Dial said.

With Joel dela Torre