Friday, April 13, 2007 Koko to file raps vs Tamondong By Stephen Capillas
SENATORIAL aspirant Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III said he will file charges of malicious mischief and seek civil damages against his father's former counsel in the Senate blue ribbon committee sometime soon.
In a press conference held in the city last Wednesday afternoon, Pimentel described as "last ditch desperate black propaganda tactics" the move by lawyer Ed Tamondong to file graft charges against him and his father, Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr.
Earlier, Tamondong alleged that the senator used official Senate stationery in writing to a judge in order to seek the latter's endorsement for his son and the other 11 candidates of the Genuine Opposition (GO).
Tamondong, who is now lawyer of controversial ex-Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, also alleged that the senator is using Senate funds to finance the election campaign of his son.
In a press statement sent to media outlets, Tamondong cited that the Pimentels abused the franking privilege law, which limits the use of the Senate stationary for official purposes and not for partisan political reasons.
"The Pimentels should have paid at least the ordinary postage of P5 per mail sent out because they (ordinary letters) are not covered by the privilege...considering that the Pimentels are trying to reach majority of 45 million voters, they could have readily sent out 1 million such letters," Tamondong said.
The former mayoralty candidate likewise reiterated that the "abuse of Senate resources" for partisan political purposes warrants investigation from the Ombudsman since it is a clear violation of the anti-graft law and the Fair Elections Act.
In response, the younger Pimentel questioned why the lawyer had to file anti-graft charges considering that Tamondong never saw, much less failed to cite, the specifics of the letter's content.
"The issue was the failure to pay postage stamp expenses (and thus a violation of the postage stamp law) but if that were the case, why file anti-graft charges? Because it was done for dramatic effect and to draw publicity since these cases carry more weight," the senatorial aspirant said.
Pimentel said they anticipate that mudslinging and black propaganda would be received from their end at the homestretch of the campaign season.
"This last day 'exposes' are done for obviously political purposes," he added.
Ties between the Pimentels and Tamondong has soured following what Tamondong decried was the senator's failure to support his mayoralty candidacy in Cagayan de Oro back in 2004.
Tamondong previously filed a similar case before the Ombudsman against Pimentel and his son.
In 2004, he also filed graft cases against Pimentel before the Ombudsman for alleged irregularities in the construction of the still unfinished Cagayan de Oro convention center.
Pimentel in a text message to Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro branded the accusations "just malicious hot air that have no basis in law or in fact."
"I have not violated any law or ethical standard that should merit any Senate investigation," the senator's text message reads.
In filing cases against him and his son, the senator said, Tamondong may have either been driven by their past political feud, or acting on Malacañang's behest.
