Defective VCMs delay polls in Calabarzon

MANILA, Philippines — The conduct of elections in some areas in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) was reportedly delayed after several vote counting machines (VCMs) malfunctioned.

Among the poll centers that encountered the problem were those located in Batangas, particularly in Cuenca, Laurel, Lemery, Lobo, Malvar and Talisay.

A similar problem was reported in Laguna, particularly in Pakil, Sta. Rosa and Biñan as well as in Binangonan in Rizal.

Residents said vote buying incidents were reported in Biñan, where at least 130 ballots were reportedly rejected by the VCMs in Barangay San Jose.

In Los Baños, tension broke out in Barangay Bambang after supporters of two mayoral candidate crossed paths.

Police and military personnel were deployed in the village to defuse the tension and ensure smooth elections.

Calabarzon police director Brig. Gen. Antonio Yarra said no crime or power outages were reported during the voting.

Earlier in the nearby town of Naic, two men were arrested for alleged vote buying.

Noelito Perlas and Remedios Tubal were reportedly caught distributing money in Barangay Halang on Sunday.

Perlas and Tubal were persuading people to vote for a certain candidate in exchange for money, police said, adding the suspects were distributing election paraphernalia even as the campaign period had ended.

Police said they seized from the suspects envelopes containing money, sample ballots, campaign materials and a list of the names of “cluster leaders.”

5 nabbed for harassment

In Misamis Oriental, five men including Army soldiers were arrested after they reportedly harassed residents in Villanueva town a few hours before the elections.

The suspects were detained at the municipal police detention cell.

Four of the suspects were active Army soldiers, according to Maj. Dennis Cerilla, Villanueva police chief.

Cerilla identified the suspects as Cpl. Joel Cabahug, 34; Cpl. Clint Sumaya, 32; TS/Sgt. Aladino Layam, 53; Pvt. Reyboden Hilogon, 32, and civilian John Carlo Solde.

Reports said the suspects arrived in a sport utility vehicle in Barangay Looc and posed as agents of the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

The men reportedly drew their guns and ordered the people to drop to the ground, before taking the residents’ belongings.

A joint team of the municipal and provincial police responded and arrested the suspects, who yielded firearms and bundles of cash.

The suspects refused to respond to media queries.

Last-minute barbs

In Baguio, rival mayoral candidates traded black propaganda a few minutes before the elections to sway votes in their favor.

On Sunday night, a report identified returning mayoral aspirant Mauricio Domogan in a supposed list of candidates barred from holding public posts.

The list reportedly came from the Commission on Elections.

The report said Domogan was disqualified from holding public office for failing to submit a “full, true and itemized” statement of contributions and expenditures during the previous elections.

The camp of Domogan described the report as “fake news,” saying the disqualification petition was dismissed on Jan. 22, 2015 for lack of merit.

The report also mentioned incumbent Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who was questioned about the supposed P1 million worth of gift checks allegedly donated by a mall company as ayuda for residents during the pandemic.

Aside from Domogan, the list reportedly included former publisher Georgina Lumauig, daughter of former Ifugao lawmaker Gualberto Lumauig, and senatorial aspirant Greco Belgica, whose bid was endorsed by President Duterte.

Belgica had twice run for the Senate, but lost in both occasions. He was a former councilor of the sixth district of Manila.

The camp of Belgica described the report as erroneous and misleading.

Voter dies at poll center

In Iloilo, a 76-year-old man allegedly died of a heart attack while waiting to cast his vote in Pototan town.

Glorioso Parreño was declared dead on arrival at the Iloilo Provincial Hospital.

Pototan police chief Maj. Ciriaco Esquilarga said the lines were not long and the voting activities were fast and smooth.

Parreño was in the company of a relative when he started feeling unwell.

Esquilarga said the heat could have caused Parreño’s death. – Gerry Lee Gorit, Artemio Dumlao, Jennifer Rendon, Emmanuel Tupas