Comelec files cyber libel rap vs. Isabela mayoral bet

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) filed a cyber libel complaint against a vice mayoral candidate in Reina Mercedes town in Isabela province.

Comelec Chairperson George Garcia on Friday, 28 February, personally filed the complaint at the Office of the City Prosecutor in Manila against Jeryll Harold Respicio for allegedly violating Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code, concerning the Section 6 of Republic Act No. 10175, also known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act.

The complaint stemmed from a social media post of Respicio, claiming that the country's automated voting system can be hacked.

In a press statement on Friday night, Garcia explained that the reason why the poll body pushed through with the filing of a criminal complaint was because misinformation ahead of the midterm elections is dangerous.

"If you think about it, as early as now, the minds of the people are being conditioned to concur with his thinking that the elections can be manipulated," Garcia said.

The Comelec chief stressed that the poll body wants to prove that an individual "cannot just freely utter words that undermine the credibility" of the elections.

"You cannot display superficial bravery and then not face the consequences of your actions," he added.

The Task Force Katotohanan, Katapatan, and Katarungan (KKK) sa Halalan will also file an Election Offense complaint against Respicio, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)-Lawyer, for violating the Omnibus Election Code which can lead to his disqualification as vice mayoralty candidate this upcoming polls.

The Task Force KKK sa Halalan will also look into the filing of a disbarment case before the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and the removal of license as a CPA before the Professional Regulation Commission against Respicio.

'No ill intent'

In a radio interview, Respicio insisted he was trying to help the Comelec patch vulnerabilities in the automated counting machines.

"What I showed there was just the basic principles of taking advantage of the vulnerabilities inherent in the Comelec process," he said.

"The gadgets all have the same principle. If you gain access to the gadget, you can change the source code, and once the source code is altered, you can open a backdoor," he added.

Respicio said he was just trying to "bring the matter to the Comelec" and for the Comelec to act on it.

"My recommendation was just simple. It was a professional recommendation," he added, noting that he does not want the public to lose trust in the voting system.

In one of his videos, Respicio explained that if the voting machine is connected to the internet before printing the election return, the election results could be manipulated.