AFP told: Stop vote-buying
President Aquino has ordered the military and police to step up the campaign against vote-buying, particularly in the provinces.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte yesterday said the public can report any incident of vote-buying to the police and military.
“The instructions that the President gave to the PNP and AFP during their command conference relative to the vote-buying is to intensify the campaign,” she said.
Valte said the Commission on Elections ( Comelec) has deputized the police and military to ensure peaceful and orderly elections.
“Whatever it is, whatever is the political party, for as long as they are doing something wrong, we will not hesitate to apprehend them, especially if we really have good information,” she said.
“The Comelec is an independent body. They can do whatever they deem is necessary in the performance of their mandate. And secondly, if you have information, you can give the information to the Comelec and we have no reason to stop this,” Valte added.
Malacaang has sought an explanation from the National Food Authority (NFA) following reports that sacks of rice were distributed in Quezon, where the son of Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala is running for governor.
Residents reportedly saw a ship of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources unloading sacks of NFA rice near the mayor’s house in the province last May 8.
Alcala’s son Irvin is running against Quezon Gov. JJ Suarez, son of House of Representatives Minority Leader Danilo Suarez.
Vote-buying reportedly started last Thursday in the towns of San Ildefonso, San Rafael, Guiguinto, Bulakan, Paombong, Pulilan, Norzagaray, and the city of Malolos in Bulacan.
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Residents said money ranging from P300 to P1,000 has been handed to each voter.
As of early Saturday night, fast food centers in Bulacan were filled with customers, an indication that money was given away.
Comelec officials appeared unaware of it.
Lawyer Elmo Duque, Bulacan provincial election supervisor, said they have not received any report of vote-buying since three weeks ago when a similar incident involving an independent candidate in Paombong town was reported.
Other election officers in different towns in Bulacan had the same observation.
Malolos Mayor Christian Natividad said relatives of his opponent were caught on camera handing out money to voters.
They have charged two retired police officers for harassing voters in Barangay Bulihan yesterday, he added.
Opposition candidate Roberto Ramirez of Bulakan town said other candidates handed out P300 per voter.
Ramirez said the P300 handed out to voters is only equivalent to 27 centavos for the three years of politician’s stay in office.
“It’s not really worth selling your vote because if you compute the amount handed to you compared to their threeyear term, it’s not even P1 a day even if they will give you P1,000,” he said.
The P500 given to voters only amounts to 46 centavos per day in three years, and P1,000 is equivalent to only 91 centavos per day in three years, he added.
Paombong Mayor Donato Marcos said an independent candidate has been handing out P1,000 to voters during the 45-day campaign period.
Vote- buying has also intensified in other towns after the names of candidates the Iglesia ni Cristo will support were released, he added.
Municipal officials Lorna Silverio of San Rafael and Feliciano Legazpi of Norzagaray have complained of rampant vote-buying.
On Saturday, police seized P500,000 in cash intended for vote-buying in Norzagaray.
Police were tipped o[ that a sheaves of money were inside the locked office of a homeowners’ association in Barangay Tigbe after responding twice to a squabble among residents.
Police were told the money will be used to buy votes.
Police forcible opened the office and found brown envelopes containing P100 and P500 bills amounting to P500,000.
The seized money is now in the custody of the Norzagaray municipal treasurer.
Chairman nabbed for vote-buying
Police arrested a barangay chairman in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija for alleged votebuying.
Nueva Ecija police director Senior Superintendent Crizaldo Nieves identified the barangay chairman as Felomino de Guzman of Barangay Bical in Science City of Muñoz.
The 60-year-old De Guzman, reportedly a supporter of one of the mayoral candidates, was caught supervising the distribution of two kilograms of rice to barangay residents.
Nieves said De Guzman’s acts constituted an offense under the Omnibus Election Code: “Any person who gives, offers or promises money or anything of value, gives or promises any office or employment, franchise or grant, public or private, or makes or offers to make an expenditure, directly or indirectly, or cause an expenditure to be made to any person, association, corporation, entity, or community in order to induce anyone or the public in general to vote for or against any candidate or withhold his vote in the election, or to vote for or against any aspirant for the nomination or choice of a candidate in a convention or similar selection process of a political party.”
Police recovered five sacks of rice and a weighing scale.
Mayor Gloria Crespo-Congco of Cabiao town accused her rival of giving out between P500 to P1,000.
In Taguig, police foiled yesterday alleged vote-buying along MRT Avenue, corner Rongo street Signal Village.
Taguig deputy police chief Superintendent Celso Rodriguez told The
STAR they were on patrol when they saw a group of people lining up inside a compound.
Upon verification, they were told that people were receiving P300 in exchange for their votes for a congressional candidate, he added.
Rodriguez said they immediately coordinated with Comelec after they were barred from entering the compound.
People began dispersing upon seeing police and Comelec officials monitoring them, he added.
In Iloilo, police arrested a 68- yearold man on Saturday with 37 envelopes containing P300 and a sample ballot each.
Western Visayas police director Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. said one Jose Marlou Lobaton, 37, complained about Edgar Bautista and turned over two envelopes containing P300.
‘Vote-buying is a sin’
Angeles City Bishop Pablo Virgilio David has reminded the Catholic faithful that it would be a sin to either buy or sell votes.
In his homily during Mass at the Holy Rosary Parish Church on Saturday night, David deplored reports of massive votebuying in Angeles City.
“It was even caught on video,” he said.
David said a politician buying votes commits a sin as much as those selling his vote.
The gravity of sin doubles when one sells his votes and actually votes for the one who had bought it, he added.