By PR | 12:07 PM May 12, 2025
A formal petition for disqualification has been filed before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) against First District of Bohol Congressman Edgardo Migriño Chatto, just one day before the national midterm elections, over allegations of vote-buying.
The petition was lodged by Bohol residents Sylvia Nistal Matig-a of Dauis, Vir Joshua Malubay of Calape, and Jose Pizarras Mascariñas of Loon, through their legal counsel Atty. Mark Dave C. Josol.
According to the petition, on May 11, 2025, individuals in the petitioners’ neighborhoods distributed envelopes containing one thousand peso bills stapled to campaign flyers bearing the message, “1 CHATTO EDGAR CONGRESSMAN.” The materials, which were submitted to the COMELEC as annexed evidence, were allegedly handed out with the message: “ayaw kalimti si Cong.” (“Don’t forget the Congressman”).
The petition cites Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code, which prohibits vote-buying, defining it as the act of offering or giving money or anything of value to induce voters to support a particular candidate. It further invokes Section 68, which disqualifies any candidate found by final decision to have engaged in such electoral offenses.
“This act is a blatant form of vote-buying and a grave threat to our democratic processes,” the petitioners stated in their sworn affidavits attached to the complaint. “We are filing this not only to uphold the integrity of the elections but also to ensure that future elections are free from coercion and corruption.”
Chatto, a veteran politician and former governor of Bohol, is seeking reelection in the May 12, 2025 midterm polls. As of this writing, he has yet to release a public statement regarding the allegations.
The petition seeks the immediate disqualification of Chatto from the congressional race in Bohol’s first district. It is now up to the COMELEC to assess the evidence and determine whether the charges merit formal disqualification proceedings.
For now, the residents of Bohol await the Commission’s action, with the outcome potentially influencing the local political landscape just hours before voters head to the polls.
