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Byth€ Inqlirer Staff
@lg3ll_qqqreL.
Vote-buying will
be part of Philip-
pine elections as
long as the country
5 remains poor, Pres-
ident Duterte said on Monday.
"[B]uying votes has been an
integral part of an election in
the Philippines. There's nobody
ho doesn't buy vot€s. Point to
ime someone who doesn't buy
votes," Mr. Duterte told re-
porters after voting in his
hometown of Davao City.
The President said giving
money to voters should not be
immediately construed as vote-
buying.
"You know, when you start to
give monet and I told the Com-
mission on Elections (Comelec),
that's not because I'm buying the
vote of the fellow. It's because
I'm giving him money to go to
the precinct, cast his vote, and go
home. Not all people have mon-
ey," Mr. Duterte said.
But vote-buying is itlegal
"Or you send food to your
eaders who are here sacrificing
rnd waiting for food to eat so
:hey can last until the last vote
s counted," he added.
Mr. Duterte, however, ac-
nowledged that vote-blrying is
against the law and that those
caught red-handed should face
charges.
"If they. are caught, they will
be prosecuted to the fullest [ex-
tentl ofthe law," he said.
Vote-buying, rather than vi-
olence at the polls, proved to be
the biggest problem for the
Philippine National Police dur-
ing the election season,
Police GerL Oscar Albayalde,
the PNP chief, said officers had
dificulty keeping up with reports
of vote-buying especially in the
run-up to the vote on Monday.
"Sometimes. [a report could
notl be responded to immediate-
ly because our police [were] still
responding to lother reports] of
vote-buying, and almost half of
our persofinel lwere] deptoyed
to different lelection] hubs," Al-
bayalde told reporters at Que-
zon City Police District head-
quarters on Monday morning.
Albayalde ctarified ttnt he was
not talking about massive vote-
buying, but about so many reports
of vote-buying that swamped the
police during tlte election period"
Not always true
"These allegations or re-
ports of vote-buying, when you
verify them, most of them aren't
true. The reports of some candi-
datesjustgo too far," he said.
"Just because you're giving
MARKED A schoolteacher applies indelige ink to the right
index finger of a voter after he cast his vote at Manuel L.
Quezon Elementary School in Tondo, Manila, on Monday.
-JOAN AO DgC
away money [doesn't
mean
you're buying votesl . . . It de-
pends on who gives the money
and to whom. . . IA candidate
could give money lto supporters]
for tleir expenses... A lot of peo-
ple in a lcandidate's] house could
iustbe family members," he said.
From Jan. 13 to 1 p.m, on
Monday, 3o2 people were ar-
rested in 12o incidents of vote-
buying across the country
mostly in Metro Maiila.
One of them was Quezon City
mayoral catdidate Vincent 'Bing-
bong" Crisologo, who was arreist-
ed on Sunday night in a police raid
on Ns campaign headquarters in
Barangay Bahay Toro where vote-
buying was alegedly going on
Policemen were anesting
;).r
'\ e^lqa -Agu
Crisologo's supporters when he
intervene4 questioning the ab-
sence of a search warrant and the
officers' not being in uniform.
Crisologo's intervention led
to a scuffle and to his arest and
the filing of charges against
him, including obstruction of
justice, unjust vexation, disobe-
dience and resisting arrest r.e-
sutting in physical iniury.
Also arrested were Cdsologo's
son Edrix .Crisologq campaign
manager and 43 poll watdErs.
Ordered released
The city prosecutor, howev-
er, ordered their release on
Monday while the case was un-
der investigation.
According to the prosecuto!'s
resolutior; it was unclear
whether vote-buying actually
happeled and that there was ,,no
showing of a clear offer to pur-
chase a vote or accept fthe offer].,,
"The police accused me that I
hurt them, but I'm already 71
years old They didn't even recov-
er any paraphernalia that show
that vote-buying took place. This
is an abuse ofpower and abuse of
authorifi " Crisoldgo said.
"l am sure there is a com-
pelling reason for our police to ar-
rest lcrisologoJ. There must have
been something wrong. But if he
sees irregularities or abuse by dur
police, we will gladly entenain his
complaint " Albayalde said.
Crisologo voted and re-
mained a.contender for euezon
City's mayoralty.
James Jimenez, spokesper-
son for the Comelec, said Crisol-
ogo's arrest would "not affect
his catdidacy in the shortterm."
Obstruction ofjustice is not
an election offense, Jimenez
said, adding that the complaint
against Crisologo was still un-
der investigation.
Alleged vote-buyers arrested
At least 2r people were ar-
rested for alleged vote-buying
in Cebu, Negros Occidental and
Northern Samar on Sunday and
on Election Day.
A barangay captain was
among those arrested in Cet
on Sunday, police said.
In Pangasinan province,
disqualification case wi
brought against Bugallon Mal
orjumel Espino on Monday fo
lowing the arrest ofhis stippor
ers, including village officia
and their companions, {br a
leged vofe-buying on Sunday.
Espino i$ running for the sei
of Pangasinan's second district i
the House of Representatiw
against Provincial Board Membi
Raul Sison, who filed the disqual
ification case in the Comelec's ol
fice in the province.
In Abra, a resolution al
legedly issued by t}Ie Comele
disqualifying reelectionisr Re[
Joseph Sto. Nino Bernos circu
lated in the provincd on Sunda!
The resolution, dated Mal
10, referred to a 2012 complain
filed against Bernos by Dolordl
Mayor Roberto Seares, who ii
running for governor against th(
incumbent Maria Joy Bernos
the lawmaker's sister-in-law.
Bernos said on Monday thE
no such resolution had been is.
sued by the Comelec, and assailec
its circulation as "an eleventtl"
hour tactic to discredit'' hirn
-rE.
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