Comelec man accused of P3-M extort try

From: manilatimes.net.ph

A party-list group of media men has accused an employee of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) of attempting to extort P3 million for the reversal of the denial of its accreditation.

The Alab ng Mamamahayag (ALAM) said it filed a motion for reconsideration (MR) when its application for accreditation was turned down. But Rogelio Rañeses asked P3 million from Edwin Alcala, an official of the group, for the approval of the party-list.

Rañeses, of the Electoral Contest and Adjudication Department (ECAD), is under the Second Division of the Comelec headed by Commissioner Lucenito Tagle.

ALAM National Chairman Jerry Yap said they rejected the offer.

The group’s petition for accreditation was dismissed by the Comelec’s Second Division on September 12 for having no track record as a group/

Tagle however was furious when informed of the accusation of extortion.

“Hindi naman kasi totoo. We are now contemplating filing a libel case against these people,” Tagle said.

Tagle said Rañeses confirmed talking with Alcala outside the Comelec premises, but the subject matter wasn’t clear. “Pinagalitan nga namin. Sabi namin ‘bakit ka nakikipag-usap sa labas?’” ###