DOJ-BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION CONFIRMS THAT GUILLERMO LUZ IS A FOREIGNER

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. (PDP-Laban) today reiterated his call for Guillermo Luz to step down as secretary general of the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) if it is to regain its reputation as a credible and non-partisan volunteer organization.

Pimentel renewed the call after the Department of Justice – Bureau of Immigration confirmed that Luz is a Canadian citizen through an official information received by the senator’s office.

He said BI records showed that Luz is an alien with Alien Certificate No. B-289495 and alien permanent residence certificate No. 212760 dated Sept. 13, 1978, issued in Manila.

In the last national and local elections, Pimentel questioned Luz’s citizenship and fitness to hold the top position in Namfrel, the citizens’ arm of the Commission on Elections.

Luz tried to fend off Pimentel’s attacks by showing his Philippine passport and his certificate as a registered voter.

The opposition senator said Luz has conveniently avoided the question of why an alien certificate of registration has been issued to him by the Bureau of Immigration.

With the DOJ-BI confirmation, Pimentel said Luz’s claim that he is a Filipino is a lie.

Pimentel said Luz’s claim that he is a registered voter and he was able to vote in the May 10 elections were highly questionable because voting is reserved only for Filipino citizens.

Despite the enactment of the dual citizenship law, Pimentel said its implementing rules and regulations have not yet been promulgated by the DOJ and Malacañang.

During the counting of votes cast in the last elections, Pimentel had urged Luz to resign as secretary general of Namfrel, for manifesting partiality and bias for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

He said Luz compromised the independence and integrity of Namfrel through the following acts:

· Trending of the Operation Quick Count to make it appear that Mrs. Arroyo was ahead of opposition bet Fernando Poe, Jr.

· Mouthing the Malacañang line that the May 10 elections were generally peaceful and clean and closing their eyes to flagrant cases of large-scale fraud in various areas.

Pimentel said Luz was unmasked as partial to GMA masquerading as a neutral arbiter of the people in the count of the presidential votes.

The senator has always been supportive of Namfrel especially when its accreditation by Comelec was being opposed by certain quarters.

But he said he would not be sympathetic anymore to having Namfrel as Comelec citizens’ arm if Luz will remain in control of the organization.

“If Namfrel is to merit the continuing trust and confidence of the people, it is best for Bill Luz to leave well enough alone. He should desist from further demeaning the goodwill that Namfrel has built on through the years,” Pimentel said.

Date: August 10, 2004
Ref: Omeng - (02)5526731