BY DANNY B. DANGCALAN

BACOLOD City – Ted Lizares Jimenez, who is running for congressman in the 3rd District of Negros Occidental, denied they have anything to do with the tampering of the passport records of his rival, businessman Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez.

“We are not tampering anything,” he stressed in a press briefing yesterday.

Jimenez said they have decided to issue this statement as he does not like his political opponent dragging the name of his fiancée, Bettina Quimson, and First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, Quimson’s cousin.

Benitez earlier said he does not know who among his political opponents could be behind the tampering of his immigration records but said “definitely they have some connections inside the Immigration bureau.”

Benitez added that what he knows is that “the girlfriend of Jimenez is related to the First Gentleman.”

“Falsification of document is a grave accusation against me and the First gentleman,” Quimson said.

“It is not right that it is constantly said we are being accused (of falsification of documents) when in reality, the question is, who is using money in connection with this?” she asked.

Jimenez and Quimson also presented a certification from the Bureau of Immigration signed by Simeon Sanchez dated January 19, 2010, stating that the name of Benitez appeared in their available Computer Database File showing his travel records, that he departed the country on January 7, 2010 and returned on January 16, 2010, among others.

“The documents are real and authenticated,” Jimenez and Quimson stressed.

Benitez earlier claimed that his Bureau of Immigration records were tampered and used against him in a disqualification case.

The disqualification case against Benitez was filed by Felizardo Lira, who works at Hacienda Teresita in Talisay City, owned by Jimenez family. The case was dismissed by the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) First Division for lack of merit.

Benitez said Vincent Vos Bartolome, whom he alleged as the lawyer for Lira, filed a manifestation before the Comelec that stated he left the country on January 7 and returned on January 16, 2010 based on the travels records of the Bureau of Immigration.

Bartolome asserted that it could have been physically impossible for Benitez to appear before the notary public who notarized his answer on January 11 seeking the disqualification of the case.

Benitez, however, said he left for Hong Kong on January 7 and returned on January 8 but his political opponents asked somebody to tamper with the computer records of the Bureau of Immigration to make it appear that he left on January 7 and returned on January 16.

Jimenez said, “The lawyer of Benitez is Romulo Macalintal, who is also the lawyer of President Arroyo. The certification is issued by Simeon Sanchez, head of the Records Department of the Bureau of Immigration, and whose appointment is not co-terminus with Arroyo.”

“Would a career officer falsify documents for an outgoing President? Who is using money and connections to play?” Jimenez said./PN