House Panel Probes CDO Voter Surge; Mayor Uy, Son Absent

MANILA – The House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms on Tuesday launched an inquiry into allegations of massive voter registration irregularities in Barangay Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City.

The hearing, held at the Ramon V. Mitra Building, focused on accusations that Barangay Carmen Chair Rainer Joaquin Uy abused his authority by issuing barangay residence certificates to non-residents, enabling them to register as voters.

Cagayan de Oro 1st District Representative Lordan Suan, who filed House Resolution No. 2021, called the 44.4% surge in registered voters in Barangay Carmen between October 2023 and September 2024 “highly irregular and unacceptable.”

He argued that such an unprecedented increase suggested possible electoral fraud and demanded accountability from those responsible.

However, key figures in the controversy—City Mayor Rolando “Klarex” Uy and his son, Barangay Chair Rainer Uy—were absent from the hearing.

Instead, their legal counsel, Atty. Allan Genoso, represented them.

The younger Uy cited a scheduling conflict due to a demolition operation as his reason for missing the hearing.

During the proceedings, Suan presented a video allegedly showing Mayor Uy promising financial incentives for the 2025 elections.

The video, reportedly recorded during a November 6 flag ceremony after the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, raised further concerns among lawmakers.

Lawyer Joel Dexter Nagtalon from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) 1st District office confirmed that Barangay Carmen experienced an extraordinary voter registration increase, far surpassing the usual 3% growth in previous election cycles.

Comelec Regional Director Atty. Renato Magbutay acknowledged reports of alleged vote-buying during the 2023 barangay elections.

However, he said the precise amount involved remained unclear.

“This is the first time I’ve seen the video of Mayor Uy. It seems to have encouraged people to transfer their registration to Barangay Carmen, possibly contributing to the 44% increase,” Magbutay said.

He also disclosed that Comelec has formed an investigative panel to probe the allegations, with findings already submitted to the Comelec en banc for further action.

Task Force Head for the 2025 elections, Jose Nick Mendros, called the voter registration spike “unprecedented nationwide.”

He suggested removing barangay certifications as a requirement for voter registration to prevent potential abuse.

Mendros revealed that out of 22,844 voter registration applications in Barangay Carmen, 1,000 were disapproved for failing to meet residency requirements.

“The task force urges Comelec to act decisively. It is concerning when local politicians allegedly manipulate voter numbers for electoral advantage,” Mendros said.

However, Nagtalon emphasized that existing laws prevent Comelec from outrightly denying voter registration applications when barangay certifications are presented.

“The hands of the Comelec are tied. As long as a barangay certification is presented, we cannot outrightly deny an applicant,” he said.

Lanao del Sur Representative Zia Alonto Adiong criticized Barangay Chair Uy’s absence, arguing that sending a representative was insufficient to answer questions about barangay operations.

Department of Labor and Employment-10 representative Sheila Lantaca suggested that increased job opportunities in Barangay Carmen might also be attracting new residents, potentially contributing to the voter surge.

House Committee Chair Joseph Stephen Paduano ordered a show cause notice for Human Resource Head Xsyclyn Faith Lumbatan, who was also absent due to a reported medical condition.

As the investigation continues, lawmakers are pushing for electoral reforms to prevent similar irregularities and safeguard the integrity of future elections. (With reports from Gold Star Daily)