Alleged flying voters in Santiago City, Isabela face lawsuit

BAGUIO CITY (Updated 11:38 p.m.) — Five alleged "flying voters" in Santiago City, Isabela, located in the Cagayan Valley region (Region 2), were sued for perjury, falsification, and use of falsified documents before the Santiago City prosecutor’s office on Wednesday morning, February 26.

Santiago City resident Victoria Miranda claimed that Michael Campos, Florida Velasco, Orland Timbuloy, Yolanda Campos, and Rowel Tintero faked certifications to register as voters in Santiago City. However, they are actually residents of Barangay Bannawag Sur in Diffun town, located in nearby Quirino Province, also in the Cagayan Valley region.

In her complaint, which was also filed before the Santiago City offices of the Commission on Elections, Miranda attached certifications from the barangay chairman of Bannawag Sur, Diffun, and other residents who personally know the five individuals and confirm that they are indeed their villagemates.

"We suspect there are at least 10,000 more 'flying voters' here now," Santiago City mayoralty bet Joseph Miranda said as he condemned the scheme that destroy the sanctity and integrity of the upcoming May elections. 

The mayoralty bet said that whatever the results of the elections are she will continue to file a complaint against the flying voters and "teach people hard lessons."

On Wednesday, the mayoralty bet also petitioned via letter to Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia; Floredeliza Gecobe, chair of the Election Registration Board of Santiago City; Region 2 Regional Election Supervisor Lawyer Ederlito Tabita; Isabela Provincial Election Supervisor lawyer Manuel Castillo Jr., and Santiago City Election Officer Jenny May Gutierrez, urging them to seriously investigate the reports of flying voters.

The mayoralty candidate claimed that he received an anonymous letter detailing a "systematic plan" to register flying voters in Santiago City by the hundreds, if not by the thousands, from adjoining municipalities and other provinces. The letter specified that "flying voters" were coming from at least four barangays in Cordon, Isabela; one barangay in Jones, Isabela; seven barangays in Echague, Isabela; two in San Isidro, Isabela; five barangays in Ramon, Isabela; four barangays in Diffun, Quirino Province; as well as from Diadi town in Nueva Vizcaya, and as far as Paracelis and Natonin towns in Mountain Province, and Tabuk City in Kalinga.

The mayoralty bet further claimed that a significant number of these alleged "flying voters" came from Paracelis town in Mountain Province. These individuals reportedly registered as voters using falsified documents just days before the voter registration deadline.

He also mentioned that, in his letter to the Comelec officials, he attached a list sent by a tipster containing the names of 83 individuals from various barangays in Paracelis, Mt. Province, who allegedly registered to vote in Santiago City.

“We want a fair election in Santiago City.  Hindi ko finile tong kaso for my own sake, kundi for the sake of the people of Santiago. Very clear yun, (I did not file it for my own sake but for the sake of the people of Santiago,” the mayoralty bet said, vowing to pursue legal action against more individuals if they have sufficient evidence.

The mayoralty candidate's lawyer, Jose Adrian Bonifacio admitted that although they can no longer petition Comelec to exclude the flying voters from the voters list, it is about time to implement stronger action against flying voters. 

"Getting a firm commitment from (my client) whatever the result of the election will be, the lawyer stressed, ‘we will continue this (battle)'," the legal counsel said.