Dalog’s lawyer in HRET case: AttyRoque Bello

HAPPY WEEKEND
Gina Dizon

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- Roque Bello is the lawyer of Mountain Province Rep. MaximoDalog in the electoral case filed at the House Electoral Tribunal by congressional aspirant Jupiter Dominguez alleging irregular transmission, illegal counting and canvassing of votes in the May 2010 elections.

The May 2010 elections registered Dominguez second place with 23,973 votes less 751 of congressman-proclaimed Dalog’s 24,724 votes.

The HRET case called for re-counting of ballots covering all 219 precincts in the ten towns of the province is undergoing counting now at the HRET. AttyRoque Bello rings a bell to politicians who need Bello’s “services.”

Bello must be a sought- for- elections lawyer. He is being implicated in the 2004 electoral fraud which allegedly placed Gloria Arroyo as president of the Philippines, the case now being forwarded for probe by Bayan Muna Representatives Teodoro Casiño and NeriColmenares.

Much better, so it seems than the unpopular then Election Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, whom Bello acknowledges is his “very good friend.” Garcillano as we know was implicated in the infamous “Hello Garci” tapes which revealed audio recordings of a phone call believed to be between then president Gloria Arroyo and Garcillano allegedly talking about rigging the 2004 elections which eventually placed Arroyo as the president.

Bello was a Comelec regional director in the National Capital Region and Region 3 before his forced resignation. He then established his own law firm and specialized in handling election cases involving mostly gubernatorial and mayoralty election protests.

The following are excerpts from Quezon city -based Newsbreak on who Bello is:

“Reported talks went that Bello’s services are sought for election manipulation, operating more smoothly than Garcillano and known to deliver his promises. A seasoned political operator recalled that Bello was one of those who shut out the opposition slate during the 1978 Interim BatasanPambansa elections among casualties of whom include former Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. and Aquilino Pimentel Jr. Reports reveal that Bello’s services was said to have been tapped to help administration candidates ensure their victories in the 2001 senatorial elections.

“His assignment, reports reveal, was “to keep Ralph Recto” within the top 12 slots, “defend the position of Francis Pangilinan,” and keep Juan Ponce Enrile, Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Gringo Honasan from gaining victories. Bello was said to have delivered 150,000 votes for administration candidates from Cavite, Bulacan, and Pampanga during the crucial days in the canvassing, when Honasan was about to land the 12th slot, for a full term of six years, and Recto appeared to stay on the 13th place, to serve only the remaining three years of TeofistoGuingona who had been appointed vice president. When the canvass was completed, Recto had overtaken Honasan. For more details, check this our: Newsbreak

Anyone needing an elections lawyer?