GENUINE Opposition (GO) campaign manager Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito yesterday appealed to the Comelec not to disqualify Team Unity senatorial candidate Luis "Chavit" Singson for giving cash while campaigning in Misamis Oriental.

"I want him to feel and see the anger of the people when they trash him in the elections," Ejercito, also mayor of San Juan, said.

Ejercito chided Comelec spokesman James Jimenez for saying there was no solid evidence to pin down Singson.

Jimenez was also quoted as saying that Singson never admitted that the cash came from him and, therefore, it could not be used as evidence.

"Umamin na nga at nag-apologize pa. Everybody saw it at may footage pa. Anong evidence pa ba ang kailangan nila?" Ejercito said in a media briefing at the GO headquarters in Mandaluyong City. "Kung kandidato namin ‘yon, pihadong disqualified agad."

GO spokesman Adel Tamano said that as Comelec spokesman, Jimenez "should wait for the decision en banc."

"He has no right to say there’s no solid evidence," he said.

Tamano said regardless of the decision of the Comelec, Singson does not pose a threat to the opposition senatorial slate. "He’s not a threat whether he’s disqualified or not."

Singson in a radio interview denied raffling off cash, saying he only picked the names of the winners.

He said it was the organizers who sponsored the raffle.

Television footage showed Singson handing out cash inside envelopes to raffle winners where local officials were caught saying "ikampanya mo, iboto mo si Senador Chavit Singson."

Singson admitted chipping in a "small" amount of cash, saying he did not want to be labeled as "kuripot."

Under Section 104 of the Omnibus Election Code, candidates are prohibited from giving donations or gifts in cash or in kind.

Violation of the Election Code is punishable with disqualification from holding public office, loss of the right to vote and imprisonment of one to six years. – Dennis Gadil