Quezon City mayoralty candidate Rep. Vincent “Bingbong” Crisologo on Monday threatened to sue police for what he described as an illegal arrest.
But the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office ordered the release of Crisologo and his son, lawyer Edrix, so they could vote in the mid-term elections.
The prosecution ruled the affidavit on the arrest and the pieces of evidence presented “failed to justify the in flagrante delicto (in blazing offense)” filed against the respondents.
“The evidence is presently unclear that the crime of vote buying and vote selling took place. There is no showing of a clear offer to purchase a vote and the acceptance of the offer,” the resolution read.
Several Crisologo supporters gathering inside a house for a watchers’ training were charged with vote-buying by the police.
“We will file charges, too,” the District 1 lawyer said.
Meanwhile, incumbent Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, who is running for mayor, too, arrived late at the poll precinct on E. Rodriguez Avenue to cast her vote.
Earlier, a media advisory was sent to the media that Belmonte would vote as early as 9 a.m.
On May 12, the older Crisologo, 71, received a phone call that some police officers from the Quezon City Police District-Station 3 broke into a house in Barangay Bahay Toro to arrest Crisologo’s watchers for alleged vote-buying.
“I responded to the area just to check, but I and my son were arrested without reading to us the Miranda Rights,” he told reporters.
Even Edwin Rodriguez and those inside the house were nabbed and charged.
Crisologo, a well known Catholic Charismatic preacher who founded the Loved Flock Catholic Charismatic Community, is the incumbent congressman of the 1st congressional district of Quezon City, having been elected on May 9, 2016, by landslide.
He previously served in the 13th (2004-2007), 14th (2007-2010) and 15th (2010-2013) congress as representative of the 1st district.
Prior to being elected as congressman, he was a City Councilor of Quezon City for two terms (1998-2004).
He is the Deputy Majority Leader in the outgoing Congress.