Raps await politicians who intervened in the polls

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs Martin Diño said charges await politicians who intervened during the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections held last Monday.

According to Diño, during the conduct of the elections, he received at least a hundred calls from concerned citizens from across the country reporting election-related violations.

He also received information that local politicians such as governor, mayors, and congressmen were allegedly offering money to constituents in return for supporting their candidates.

If residents refused the money, politicians reportedly resorted to harassment.

“In preparation for the 2019 elections, if the barangay captain [they] control wins, then, for sure, they also control the elections in the barangay during the midterm polls,” Diño said.

Diño speculated around 100 congressmen and over 1,000 local government unit officials intervened in the polls through vote buying.

However, he did not confirm if some are from Negros.

The DILG official added, there is a likelihood that some violating politicians are also members of the PDP-Laban, affirming they would not tolerate such actions.

Earlier, Diño said they will file charges against barangay officials if it is proven they engaged in vote buying.

In Negros Occidental, incidents of vote buying were recorded in Bacolod City, Bago City, and La Castellana.

Aside from alleged vote buying and political intervention, there were also reported instances of ‘flying voters’ in some parts of Bacolod City./DGB, WDJ