Mayor hit for distributing voters' IDs

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines —Only in the town of Panglao does it happen that the incumbent mayor personally handed Comelec ID cards to voters.

Provincial Election Officer Eliseo Labaria admitted it was not the proper procedure but he kept his cool on the “liberality” of Municipal Election Officer Siegfred Saniel on the matter. He however had no categorical statement on the extent of the possible consequence of the action of Mayor Benedicto Alcala.

Saniel allegedly allowed Mayor Alcala to distribute the ID cards to Panglao voters inside the Mayor’s Office at the Municipal Hall. It was immediately stopped after some constituents reported it to Vice Mayor Evangeline Lazaro.

Alcala explained that he only wanted to help ease the congestion at the Municipal Comelec Office after noticing the long queue of people who came for their voter’s cards.

However, there were reports that the mayor himself went to the Comelec office to ask for the IDs, which he later distributed inside his office. The voters were allegedly called by groups and faced the mayor inside his closed-door office.

Some of those who got their voter’s ID cards from the mayor attested that the mayor indoctrinated them to his favor by telling negative information about his potential challengers.

The next day, Alcala allegedly asked again for more ID cards at the Comelec office, but this time Saniel, realizing it was illegal to do so, turned the mayor down.

Lazaro, for her part, admitted her staff received complaints regarding the incident. She pointed out that out of delicadeza, the mayor should have not done it and that the Comelec should have also avoided it.

The vice mayor clarified that it was the people of Panglao who came to her office to raise their concerns regarding the incident as they felt uncomfortable to be getting their voter’s ID cards from the incumbent mayor who is seeking reelection.

Lazaro said she was also cautious that the mayor might allege that she instigated the negative reaction of the people against the action, clarifying that she was just responding to the request for intervention from the voters themselves.

It was not an issue on whether the mayor has helped ease the congestion of clients at the Comelec office but a matter of letting the Comelec do its job and keeping probable candidates and politicians from influencing the voters in an improper manner. (FREEMAN)