Comelec Has No Capability to Verify Sources of De Lima’s Campaign Funds — Bautista

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Juan Andres Bautista said the poll body has no capability to verify the sources of the campaign funds of Senator Leila de Lima during the last elections campaign.

Asked if the Comelec is going to verify the claims of some witnesses in the House of Representatives’ Justice Committee’s inquiry on the drug trade proliferation at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), Bautista said, “Mahirap ‘yan. We don’t have the sophistication and the technical know-how to do that. Siyempre ang lumalabas lang naman ay ‘yung mga contributor.”

He added, “Kung sino man ‘yung gumamit ng drug money, o kung sino yung mga drug pusher, hindi namin alam kung sino yung mga ‘yun. That is beyond our capability.”

It was revealed during the hearing of the House Justice Committee on Tuesday that some of the money used in the senatorial campaign of De Lima in the last polls allegedly came from drug lords.

For her part, the senator denied the allegations, saying they are all fabricated statements. (PNA)
SCS/FGP/EDS