VOTE BUYING. The Commission on Elections says an investigation with the help of the Philippine National Police will be done following a report of vote buying at a warehouse in Barangay San Jose in Navotas City on Wednesday (Oct. 25, 2023). Police authorities were conducting Operation Kontra Bigay when they discovered envelopes being distributed with PHP300 to PHP500 inside. (Photo courtesy of Navotas Election Officer Gregorio Bonifacio)
MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Wednesday it has come up with an initial list of Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSK) candidates whose proclamations could be suspended if they win the Oct. 30 polls.
For the first batch, the poll body included 241 BSK bets running in various cities in Metro Manila.
Suspension orders against some candidates in areas in Bukidnon, Cagayan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Isabela, Bataan, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Samar, Iloilo, Lanao del Norte, Negros Oriental and Occidental, Leyte, Cebu, Capiz, Masbate, Nueva Vizcaya, Sorsogon, Dapitan in Zamboanga del Norte, Biliran, and Agusan del Norte were also being prepared.
At a separate press briefing, Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia said the poll body targets to release the result of disqualification cases before Monday's polls.
"Halos kalahati po ng masu-suspend namin ay mailalabas na iyong kaso nila whether dismissed or disqualified (Almost half of the [disqualification cases results] of candidates who will be suspended shall be released, whether dismissed or disqualified)," he said.
As of Wednesday, the poll body has filed 186 disqualification petitions against BSK bets allegedly engaged in premature campaigning, with 7,103 orders issued nationwide.
For illegal campaigning, 154 out of the 1,371 candidates who received show cause orders have provided their answers to the Comelec.
Garcia, meanwhile, said the poll body will investigate the reported incident of vote buying at a warehouse in Policarpio St. M. Naval, Brgy. San Jose, Navotas City.
According to the initial report of Navotas City Police Station (CPS), Operation Kontra Bigay was conducted in the area on Wednesday morning.
It led to the discovery of the distribution of envelopes to voters containing an amount ranging from PHP300 to PHP500 each, the report added.
"All were registered voters of Malabon and were conducting Watchers Training at the place of incident, with more or less 200 persons inside the warehouse," it said.
Overall, police authorities estimated the total amount intended to be distributed to voters was PHP363,900. (PNA)
