WAITING AREA. Voters in Malabog village, Paquibato District wait in this room before they can cast their votes. (davaotoday.com photo by Jandy Ken C. Lizondra)
In a statement released Monday, Ka Simon Santiago, NPA political director, said four village captains in Paquibato district “surrendered” to them and reported of receiving money from re-electionist Representative Mylene Garcia. In Mapula village, 27 envelopes with PHP 300 each were allegedly seen, PHP 15,000 in Lumiad village, PHP 20,000 in Paquibato village and PHP 15,000 in Panalum village.
By MA. GIGI A. TENEBROSO
Davao Today
PAQUIBATO, DAVAO CITY, Philippines – A group of Lumad voters here raised funds so that they could travel for three hours and cast their ballot in Monday’s automated elections.
Dante Bandihan said a one-way motorcycle fare from his home in Tuytuyan, Calinan to Malabog village is pegged at PHP 400 each. Luckily, he said, their tribe found a way to raise money and rented a small truck that transported him and 28 other Lumad voters.
He shared, though, that it took him a while inside the precinct because he was very careful in shading the ovals.
“Mas dali ang pagboto karon kay mag shade shade lang. Pero, dugay sa paglinya kay usa ra man ang PCOS, unya balik balikon pa’g sulod kay iluwa man,” he told davaotoday.com.
But while Bandihan and his tribe were able to vote, others were not lucky.
In Malabog Central Elementary School, out of the 2,672 registered voters, only 1,637 were able to vote, disenfranchising the rest of the 1,035 voters.
The problems here included missing names in the masterlist posted outside the polling precincts. Many went home unable to vote.
As of 2 PM Monday, only 300 voters in Paquibato Central Elemetary School were able to vote out of the 1,562 registered voters because of the same problems.
Aside from disenfranchised votes, last-minute vote-buying was also reported in Paquibato, according to the New People’s Army (NPA).
In a statement released Monday, Ka Simon Santiago, NPA political director, said four village captains in Paquibato district “surrendered” to them and reported of receiving money from re-electionist Representative Mylene Garcia. In Mapula village, 27 envelopes with PHP 300 each were allegedly seen, PHP 15,000 in Lumiad village, PHP 20,000 in Paquibato village and PHP 15,000 in Panalum village.
Paquibato is a known NPA stronghold in Davao City.
Two days before election, the NPA’s 1st Pulang Bagani Battalion under Ka Parago Sandoval also arrested seven members of the Police Regional Office-XI Traffic Management Group in an undisclosed Paquibato village.
Santiago said they were arrested for “violating the revolutionary policies on elections” as they served as escorts of a village captain who brought money to allegedly buy votes.
The PNP personnel were Edgardo Butad, Erald James M. Cajeras Sr., Vincent M. Dela Torre, Abdul Azis A. Ali Jr., Ariel Carbule, Edmond O. Trenidad and Rusalito C. Caranguit.
They underwent investigation, education and strong warning within an hour before they were released by the NPA. (Ma. Gigi A. Tenebroso/davaotoday.com)
Comelec, Commission on Elections, davao, Election, Liberation Movements, NPA, Paquibato
