Politicians discouraged

from vote buying, selling

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

After receiving reports of rampant vote buying and vote selling in Iloilo a few days before Monday’s midterm elections, Police Regional Office-6 (PRO-6) director, Police Brigadier General John Bulalacao, warned politicians in the region to not challenge his mandate and stop the illegal activity.

Bulalacao said he ordered all police officers in the region to arrest violators of election laws and, if necessary, the use of force is permitted if they are armed and resist arrest.

The regional police director further said political candidates should “exemplify the traits of a true leader” and should abide by the law, avoid immoral and unethical acts, and respect the political will of the people.

“They should never resort to vote buying, coercion, or the use of threats to win the election,” Bulalacao said.

He also asked candidates to adopt fair play practices and respect the sanctity of the ballot.

“I am enjoining our community members to be vigilant and proactive by reporting to us cases of vote buying and other illegal acts during the election period so that appropriate police action may be done against them,” Bulalacao added./DGB, WDJ