The House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal is yet to convene on August 28,2014 but a draft decision of the would-be hearing has already leaked out, according to a lawmaker.
The HRET was to decide on the fate of Marinduque congressman Regina Reyes and her political rival, Lord Allan Velasco, son of SC Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco.
Reyes’ camp found out about the alleged draft being circulated now among HRET members which is just 2 weeks away from the hearing. A copy was given to her confidentially by a concerned co-member of Congress who happened to get a copy of draft.
In the light of these developments, Reyes called on the members of the HRET to stand by their conviction and not be swayed by vested interest.
Reyes also urged the entire House of Representatives to grant her a fair hearing.
Reyes asks that the HRET to review the decision of the Comelec regarding her case and asked the HRET if there is sufficient and justifiable evidence. She said the decision must be made beyond reasonable doubt if the only evidence against her is an internet blog by a certain person who was never even called in the COMELEC or any of its hearings to testify personally that in fact he does exist and that, indeed, he is the author of said blog.
Comelec voted en banc with its own chairman, Commissioner Sixto Brillantes filing a dissenting opinion versus the disqualification decision, saying that the evidence at hand is merely hearsay.
When another piece of evidence- a mere Xerox copy of a document from the Bureau of Immigration purportedly proving that Reyes was travelling using a foreign passport and uncertified at that to be a true copy- was presented to the Comelec, Brillantes went so far as to say, the evidences only became double hearsay.
