Over 100 vote buying cases to be probed
MANILA, Philippines — Around 1,000 local executives and 100 members of the House of Representatives reportedly intervened in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections by trying to influence their constituents to vote for their bets, an official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said yesterday.
DILG Undersecretary Martin Diño said that about 1,000 elected barangay captains are facing suspension and disqualification from office for violating laws and Commission on Elections (Comelec) rules, including vote-buying.
Diño said they are also building cases against the 100 lawmakers, who he said made a mockery of the electoral process.
He said the 100 congressmen, who come from different districts nationwide, would be accorded due process.
“I will speak to them to get their side and to discover the truth,” he said.
“We received reports that some of the congressmen gave money, while others invited candidates. One candidate has withdrawn, then he or she was convinced to run. These reports are coming from all over the country,” Diño said.
He noted that they are now conducting verification and will try to get the side of these lawmakers on the allegation against them.
“Let’s admit it, these congressmen really supported candidates, but it shouldn’t be obvious as the process is supposed to be apolitical,” said Diño.
He pointed out that lawmakers, mayors and other politicians were overeager to provide support to barangay captains in their areas of jurisdiction to help their reelection bid next year.
“This is in support of their reelection bid in 2019. They need the support of barangay captains for their re-election,” he noted.
Diño said such practice should be stopped and that once information is verified and affidavits are sworn to, the DILG will closely coordinate with the Comelec for the perpetual disqualification from public office of these people.
He cited the first cases of Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu, who released letters instructing his constituents to vote for certain candidates or he would stop supporting their scholarship programs. He said the case against Abu has been filed.
“Two barangay chairmen have filed the complaint against him,” Diño said.
Abu could not be reached for comment.
At the same time, Diño said 1,000 elected barangay chairmen are facing suspension and disqualification from office for alleged violation of Comelec rules.
“If the 1,000 will win they will not be proclaimed as winners because of their violations and the complaint against them. We have their names, unless they can clear these and answer the accusation against them,” he added.
In one case, Diño said an Australian ran in the barangay elections despite the law providing that only Filipino citizens can run for public office in the Philippines.
“Some are not Filipino citizens, while others had served three terms but insisted to run again. They fooled the government and the Filipino people,” he noted.
He vowed to work hard to put these people behind bars for violating the law, as he called on the public to submit to the DILG evidence against them.
As this developed, arrests have been made, following more than 100 reported cases of vote-buying.
Citizens’ arrests was made on seven persons, who were allegedly buying votes in Lucena City on the eve of the elections.
Police found the suspects, who will be charged with illegal possession of unlawful election paraphernalia, in possession of envelopes each with sample ballots and P200 cash.
The Southern Tagalog Police identified the suspects as Pepito Carbonel, Virginia Sta. Ana, Dory Repollo, Romeo Bersabe, Arsienio Lagrason Jr., Fernando Casino and Wilma Anthony.
In Calamba City, barangay health worker Corazon del Rosario was arrested when councilor Saturniño Lajara and electrician Loreto Gareza, sought the help of authorities, claiming that they saw Del Rosario giving money to Antonio Latumbo in Barangay Milagrosa last Sunday.
Barangay captain Christian Maraña, of Poblacion in Calauag, Quezon was accused by Franklin Maravilla and Franklin Pulgar, a candidate for barangay captain, of vote buying.
Police nabbed Teofilo Banares Jr. for alleged vote-buying on behalf of a candidate for barangay councilor in Taguig City yesterday.
A complainant had approached the police and claimed that Banares offered him P1,000.
Banares will be charged with violation of the Omnibus Election Code.
For their part, police are investigating an alleged vote-buying incident in Mandaluyong.
Senior Supt. Moises Villaceran, Mandaluyong City police chief, said they are gathering evidence to pin down the suspects behind the incident reported by Mharlee Mae Albaciente, a poll watcher.
According to Villaceran, Albaciente brought to his office Genesis Magsino and Herminia dela Cruz, who claimed somebody paid them P100 and P300, respectively, to vote for the ticket of a candidate for barangay chairman.
Magsino and Dela Cruz brought with them the money but failed to present supporting documents like the sample ballots showing the candidates they are supposed to vote for.
In Aklan, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said a suspected vote buyer was caught in the act of distributing envelopes containing cash and sample ballots on the eve of elections.
Jimenez added that the suspect faces an election offense, which is punishable with up to six years imprisonment, perpetual disqualification of the right to vote and to hold public office.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde added that they are validating reports of vote buying.
“We are very careful because these reports have to be validated. We’ve seen this in past elections so we are really vigilant now. We want to keep this election safe and clean,” he claimed.
Senior Supt. Rodolfo Castil, provincial police director of Negros Occidental, yesterday confirmed reports of vote buying in La Castellana. This is now being investigated by the Comelec.
P3K each for voters
Although there was no violence this time, alleged vote-buying was reported in some Abra towns ahead of yesterday’s polls.
Voters in at least three towns were reportedly given P3,000 each to favor barangay and SK bets supported by political kingpins.
DILG officer-in-charge Eduardo Año said they have ordered several mayors to explain after they were reported to be involved in the whittling down of barangay candidates to a single slate.
Poll officials in the province could not be contacted to verify the alleged vote buying reports.
Earlier, Diño acknowledged that they were verifying reports of vote buying and harassment in Abra, San Rafael in Bulacan, Antipolo City and 17 cities in Metro Manila, including Quezon City and Marikina.
The DILG official also said they received video footage of some municipal mayors, congressmen and governors “harassing” those running against their candidates.
Diño vowed that once these complaints are verified, the DILG will file administrative charges against the officials, which could lead to their perpetual disqualification from holding public office.
In Butuan City in Agusan del Norte, the Legal Network for Truthful Elections yesterday claimed that they received reports of vote-buying and campaigning of some candidates inside polling precincts, among other complaints.
For its part, when the Comelec received reports about missing precincts and missing names, these were immediately addressed with the help of its accredited citizen’s arm, Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, Commissioner Al Parreño said.
According to Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Edgard Arevalo, voting started late in some polling precincts but they could not yet ascertain if there were really delays “or just delayed in reporting.”
For his part, Albayalde reported that a total of 1,100 policemen have replaced teachers as Board of Election Tellers (BETs) in Sulu, Basilan, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur and Cotabato city.
Albayalde, however, said these policemen have been adequately trained to administer elections.
As a policy of the Comelec, police and military personnel can assume the role of BETs if there are security concerns in an area, thus preventing teachers from doing their poll duties.
“There are 1,000 trained police officers per region as a contingency just in case they have to man the elections. But then these policemen are not armed,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Comelec barred more than 3,000 residents of Maguindanao province from voting yesterday for having multiple voters’ registration.
A barangay chairman and a reserved colonel of the Philippine Air Force were caught on camera giving out campaign materials 20 meters away from a polling precinct in Baguio City at around 8 a.m.
According to lawyer Lauro Gacayan, whose son caught on camera former Palma-Urbano barangay chairman Alberto Reyes and Palma-Urbano barangay chairman candidate Boy Cruz distributing campaign materials, “it is time to cleanse Baguio of election law violators.”
Gacayan said he is pressing charges against Reyes and Cruz.
Pangasinan 4th district Rep. Christopher de Venecia said Filipinos will see if SK reforms are effective and give young people the chance to lead. His mother, former representative Gina de Venecia, added that the future will be guided by the leaders for whom the people have voted yesterday.
All the barangay and SK candidates in Barangay Longos, Calasiao in Pangasinan made history in town for running unopposed. The candidates, however, still did the rounds to thank their voters.
The intense summer heat affected at least 365 voters in different polling centers in Quezon City. – With Non Alquitran, Ed Amoroso, Gilbert Bayoran, Romina Cabrera, Sheila Crisostomo, Artemio Dumlao, Rey Galupo, Gerry Lee Gorit, Ramon Lazaro, Ghio Ong, Roel Pareño, Jennifer Rendon, Ben Serrano, John Unson, Eva Visperas