'Betting on election results is illegal'

BACOLOD CITY — Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez warned the public, especially candidates, who wager on the results of the May 12 elections.

He said betting is punishable under existing laws.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, Benitez said that "elections are a sacred process and should not be a subject of betting."

Benitez, who is seeking a seat in Congress in the coming elections, said that he saw a post by a candidate on social media challenging anyone to place a bet on who is going to win in the May 12 electoral process.

Benitez said that under the Omnibus Election Code, betting in an election is considered an "election offense."

Among the penalties under the law is imprisonment, disqualification and the suspension of one's right to vote, he said.

"Charges can be filed within five years," he said.

Benitez, however, refused to name the candidate involved.

"During the time to choose our candidates, there should be no pride. Instead, there should be respect for the good of the country," he said.

Benitez, the youngest in the political clan based in the third district of Negros Occidental, will face Joel Bantigue in the coming polls.

The mayor is seeking the post previously occupied by his uncle, Jose Francisco Benitez, who was recently appointed director general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority with the rank of secretary.

The congressional seat was also previously occupied by the mayor's father, Bacolod City Mayor Albee Benitez.