THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has denied giving special treatment to President Rodrigo Duterte and senatorial aspirants of the ruling PDP-Laban during the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs).
In a virtual press briefing, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said there was no special treatment when Duterte accompanied the administration bets at the Sofitel Harbor Garden Tent in Pasay City.
“We have been very fair in handling all the parties. All the parties have received the same sort of treatment,” said Jimenez.
“Ultimately, each candidate is being treated the same way as every other candidate,” he added.
Particularly to the case of the PDP-Laban candidates, Jimenez explained that the other companions of filers were asked to give way to Duterte.
“The companions of the said senatorial candidates were asked to go out precisely because it turned out that there were too many of them. Ultimately, they were left with less than the allowed number of companions,” said Jimenez.
He said the only exemption afforded to Duterte was in allowing the Presidential Security Group (PSG) inside the venue.
“The President is entitled to his security detail. So allowances will have to be made for that. Maybe, that was where the perception of the special treatment came in,” said Jimenez.
Comelec’s statement comes amid criticisms from Senator Nancy Binay that the poll body gave Duterte and the PDP-Laban bets special treatment when they filed their COCs.
This was after Duterte was allowed to raise the hands of the administration candidates first one by one, then as a whole slate, when they filed their respective COCs for senator. (HDT / SunStar Philippines)