30 persons face vote-buying raps

By: Dolly Yasa and Glazyl Y. Masculino

MOISES PADILLA, Negros Occ. – Lt. Col. Adrian Accolador, Task Force MOLAI (Moises Padilla, La Castellana and Isabela) on May 13, 2019 said charges of vote-buying and illegal campaigning is being readied against 28 persons they apprehended evening of May 12, 2019 at Brgy.7 here.

Accolador said the 28 persons included three minors who will be released from police custody.

Accolador told reporters here that they received reports of massive vote buying in several barangays in the town Sunday night.

Of the 28 suspects, 12 were caught in possession of sample ballots with two P500 bills.

The sample ballots listed the slate of Moises Padilla Mayor Magdaleno Peña.

Accolador said the suspects were on board a jeepney on the Bacolod-Pulupandan route.

Also recovered were 600 sample ballots.

The suspects will be charged for illegal campaigning because the campaign period ended last May 11, 2019.

Peña could not be reached for comment as of this writing.

In E.B. Magalona town, two brothers were also nabbed for alleged vote-buying.

Arrested were Jocel Etang, 24; and Johnniel Etang, 23; both residents of Sitio Panaosawon, Barangay  Tuburan E.B. Magalona.

Police Capt. Jaynick Bermudez, E.B. Magalon town police chief, said the Etangs were riding a motorcycle when their attention were called by a member of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT).

“They were wearing helmets at around 4 a.m. Monday in Barangay Tuburan. However, they refused to remove their helmets and even attempted to hit the BPAT personnel with their motorcycle,” Bermudez said.

The BPAT personnel managed to hold the hand of one of the two suspects, causing them to fall from their motorcycle.

Sample ballots, envelopes, and cash spilled out of their bags as well.

Police recovered from the brothers 127 sample ballots, 127 brown envelopes, and P127,000 in cash.

Bermudez said the sample ballots was supposed to include P1,000 bill each.

The Etangs are detained at the police station for violation of Section 89 of the Omnibus Election Code.