Rama Did not Report All Contribution, Lawyer Says

Lawyer Reymelio Delute has claimed that the case he had filed before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) against Mayor Michael Rama for his failure to report all financial contributions that he received in the last May 2013 elections is already enough to convict the mayor for violating the election laws.

Aside from his original complaint that was only based on the statement of Rama’s cousin Annabelle Rama-Gutierrez to the media that she gave P3 million of financial contribution to the mayor, Delute said the statement of Annabelle has been confirmed also by her brother-Basak San Nicolas Barangay Captain George Rama.

In an interview at the City Hall, Barangay Captain Rama admitted that the mayor had returned the money that he received from Annabelle, but only after the elections.

Delute had filed a supplemental affidavit-complaint in relation to his case filed against Rama for failure to disclose in his Statement of Contribution and Expenditures (SOCE) the P3 million campaign contribution from Annabelle.

“In relation to the said filing of charges, the mayor’s cousin and incumbent Basak San Nicolas Barangay Captain George Rama made some statement admitting that Annabelle Rama-Gutierrez did contribute three million pesos to the respondent but the said amount was subsequently refunded to her,” Delute’s complaint read.

According to George Rama that the mayor had returned the money which was the reason why he did not declare the amount in his SOCE, but Delute said it is up to the Comelec Law Department to resolve the case.

Delute, who is challenging the reelection bid of George Rama in Barangay Basak-San Nicolas, said the mayor should be made liable for violating section 262 in relation to sec.109 of the Omnibus Election Code.

He cited the provisions of the election law, which provides that all candidates, including those who lost in the elections, shall submit their SOCE and “the statement shall be in writing, subscribed and sworn to by the candidate or by the treasurer of the party, shall be complete as of date next preceding the date of filing and shall set forth in detail the amount of contributions, the date of receipt, and the full name and exact address of the person from whom the contribution was received.”

Rama claimed that he only received P1 million of contributions and it came from Mariquita Salimbangon-Yeung.

The law provides that any person found guilty of any election offense shall be punished with imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than six years and shall not be subject to probation, aside from the penalty of perpetual disqualification from holding of public office and deprived of the right to suffrage. But Rama said the case shall be answered by his battery of lawyers in a proper forum.