Cavite Vice Governor Ramon Jolo B. Revilla III, who is seeking a seat in Congress as representative of the First District of the province, is facing a disqualification case before the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) over allegations of vote-buying.

In a petition for disqualification filed May 6, three residents of Rosario Cavite prayed that the COMELEC, “after due notice and hearing, respondent Ramon Jolo Bautista III be disqualified for the position of Congressman in the First District of Cavite in the May 9, 2022 Elections pursuant to Section 68 of the Omnibus Election Code.”

The petitioners are Helen Munggaya Alejo, Mary Ann Villania Pigante, Luningning Composanto Perlas, and Manilyn Flores Tantay Carmen Alcantara Valederama, all residents of Rosario Cavite.

The petition for disqualification was filed through their lawyers at the Trillo, Ansaldo and Maranon Law Offices.

In their petition, the petitioners said during the campaign period they have been “successively and separately approached by respondent, through his campaign ‘barkers’ who were wearing his campaign shirt/uniform and acting on his behalf, on the same date (March 25).”

The petitioners recounted that they were “each given the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) registration form that cam with a slip of paper with the names and campaign logos of respondent Revilla.”

“That they were then promised of ‘financial assistance’ from the DSWD which was also claimed ‘as good as cash’ in exchange for their support and votes in the May 9, 2022 National and Local Elections,” the petition reads

“That unlike their neighbors whom they personally saw to have filled up the forms in agreement to the vote-buying scheme, petitioners refused to do so knowing that it is wrong and against their principles,” it added.

The petition pointed out that the act constitute vote-buying under Secion 68 of the Omnibus Election Code which states that: “Any candidate who, in an action or protest in which he is a party is declared by final decision of a competent court guilty of, or found by the Commission of having (a) given money or other material consideration to influence, induce or corrupt the voters or public officials performing electoral functions;...”

It added that the act also violates the Section 261 (v) of Omnibus Election Code which prohibits the disbursements or expenditures of public funds during a 45-day period prior the May 9 election..

Before the COMELEC sets the case for preliminary conference, the petitioners the poll body subpoena from the DSWD Field Office IV-A pertinent documents.

Petitioners also asked the poll body to “direct Provincial Board of Canvassers (PBOC) of Cavite to consider the votes case for respondents as stray or invalid.”

If Revilla has not been disqualified by final judgment, the petitioners asked that the COMELEC “suspends his proclamation in the remote possibility that he gets the highest number of votes.