Leni Robredo faces DQ due to foreign poll funds Written by Charlie V. Manalo Friday, 07 June 2013 08:00 Representative-elect of the Third District of Camarines Sur Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo, widow of the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, may be facing disqualification even as the 16th Congress has yet to formally open after a political rival accused her of soliciting foreign contributions in violation of election laws. Nelly Villafuerte, wife of outgoing Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte, who lost to the Liberal Party (LP) bet in the elections last May, charged Robredo with violation of Section 96 of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC) which pertains to soliciting or receiving contributions from foreign sources. Nelly filed the complaint before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) last May 23, or 10 days after the elections, after their camp found out that Robredo solicited and received campaign donations from at least seven American nationals and three American entities. As proof, the receipt of the donations from the foreign individuals and entities have been acknowledged by Robredo herself in her Facebook account, Villafuerte stated in her complaint. Section 96 of the OEC states that, “It shall be unlawful for any person including a political party or public or private entity to solicit or receive, directly or indirectly, any aid or contribution of whatever form or nature from any foreign national, government or entity for purposes of influencing the results of the elections.” However, Villafuerte said that Robredo initiated the solicitation of donations from foreign nationals and entities with an open letter last February 1 at the behest of Loida N. Lewis, an American citizen. In her open letter which could be found at https://facebook/notes/loida-nicolas-lewis/letter-from-atty-leni-robredo-campaign-to-represent-camarines-sur/393312964096212, Robredo stated the manner by which the foreign solicitations could be made effective. A part of her letter read: “To support Atty. Leni Robredo’s campaign, please make/send checks to, Mail check payable to “Loida Lewis ITF Leni Robredo” PO Box 1080, Gracie Station, NY NY 10028. For more information, visit: https://facebook/attyLeniRobredo.” The complainant further averred that Robredo acknowledged the receipt of the foreign donations in her website, lenirobredo.ph/0630/, listing the names of the foreign individuals and entities who contributed to her campaign fund. The website also featured an article regarding Lewis’ announcement of support for her campign. According to Villafuerte, Lewis is a naturalized American citizen, having married Reginald Lewis in August 16, 1969. She also reportedly passed the New York bar exam and was admitted to practice law in New York, something she could not do, Villafuerte said, if she is not a citizen of the United States. Further proof, Villafuerte said, is that Lewis worked as general Attorney in the US Government, specifically in the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) from 1970 – 1990 and actively participated in the 2008 and 2012 campaign of US President Barak Obama by being a financial contributor, among other partisan political activities she engaged in, all things which she could only do if she is an American citizen. If Lewis claims to be a Filipino citizen which would enable her to contribute to Robredo’s campaign, Villafuerte said, then she would be considered a foreign national in the United States which would bar her from contributing to Obama’s campaign. Villafuerte further argued that Lewis could not take refuge under RA 9225 because under that law, natural born citizens of the Philippines who after the effectivity of the said law, which was August 29, 2003, become citizens of a foreign country, shall retain their Philippine citizenship upon taking oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines, and that Lewis acquired her American citizenship, “long, long before the enactment of RA 9225. Other natural-born Americans or naturalized Americans who contributed to Robredo’s campaign include Dr. Edward Seidel, a natural-born American married to a Filipina, Lorna, who has also acquired her US citizenship; lawyer Rodel Rodis, the first Filipino-American to win an elective post in the US, Robert Federigan; Robert Heiberger; Rainier Asprer; and Richard Sublett. Villafuerte also listed at least three foreign entities which contributed to Robredo’s campaign, namely: The Unlimited Agency, Inc., which was registered as corporation on March 17, 1994 with registration no. 57729554 in the state of Illinois, USA; The Bicol USA of the Midwest, which was registered as a copration in the State of Illinois, USA on February 11, 2011, with registration no. 67779959; and Fundrazr, an online website used to raise funds from anonymous donors abroad. Fundrazr, is reportedly the flagship product of a company called Connection Point Systems, a privately-owned and funded Canadian company. Given the facts cited, Villafuerte stressed in her complaint that “there is probable cause to indict defendant Ma. Leonor G. Robredo aka Leni Robredo for the election offense prescribed in Sec. 96 of the OEC in relation to Sec. 262, Sec. 264 and Sec. 68 (d) of the OEC.” “…The financial contribution to the political campaign of the defendant from foreign sources mentioned above is indictable as an election offense,” Villafuerte averred. If found guilty, Robredo, aside from possible disqualification from holding public office, could also face jail time as Section 262 of the OEC states that violation of Section 96 of the Code shall constitute an election offence and under Section 264 of the same Code, “any person found guilty of any election offense under this code shall be punished with imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than six years and shall not be subject to probation.”
Posted on: Sun, 18 Aug 2013 18:05:13 +0000
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