80 flying voters arrested in QC

Police arrested 80 suspected "flying voters" in Quezon City, late Monday, reports reaching ABS-CBN Tuesday said.

The alleged illegal voters, mostly in Barangay Hills, were brought to Station 6 of the Central Police District for interrogation.

Another five suspected "flying voters" were arrested in Parañaque while two others were nabbed in Meycauayan, Bulacan, on Monday, reports said.

In Barangay Holy Spirit, Quezon City, a first-time voter was arrested last Monday for casting her vote under a different name at a polling precinct .

Police identified the voter as 19-year-old Baby Rose Tugano, of Barangay Holy Spirit.

She allegedly voted under the name of a certain Zenaida Lopez, 42, of the same barangay, police said.

The irregularity was discovered when the real Zenaida Lopez surfaced as she was not allowed to cast her vote in the afternoon. Election personnel said their records showed she had already voted.

It was learned that Tugano voted using Lopez’s name at around 8:30 a.m.

Tugano narrated that she was asked to be a watcher for the opposition party in the city, based on the ID issued to her. She claimed she was asked to use Lopez’s name by a certain Mercy Tapwa.

The ID with Lopez’s name was given to Tugano on Sunday night.

Tugano went on to explain that she was prodded by a certain person she referred to as "chairman" to cast her vote under Lopez’s name or else she would not be allowed to become a watcher at Precinct 1298-A in Barangay Holy Spirit.

"Napilitan lang po ako dahil hindi daw po ako pwedeng mag-watcher pag hindi ako bumoto… hindi ko naman po makita and pangalan ko," she claimed.

Tugano said she was promised a P500 allowance for being a watcher. She said she initially received P100.

She is currently detained at the CPD-Station 6 in Batasan Hills as appropriate charges are being readied against her for violation of Comelec rules. She faces imprisonment of six months. — Katherine Adraneda