Cops probe reports on Abra vote-buying

BANGUED, Abra – Vote-buying has started in this conflict-stricken province even as police said they were still investigating reports at least P70.3 million has already been distributed to constituents by politicians.

Sources said supporters of candidates are still offering or have distributed P500 for each voter in exchange for their votes for their candidates in the May 14 elections.

But police said they have yet to take from any concerned citizen a sworn affidavit attesting that vote-buying is rampant in this province which is one of the areas closely monitored by the Commission on Elections, the police, and the military.

The report on rampant vote-buying surfaced when Comelec officials, police and military officers and concerned groups and citizens held recently a forum here.

Chief Supt. Eugene Martin, commander of Task Force Abra, said concerned citizens surmised that the P500 pay per vote could be increased if other politicians offer a higher price.

Comelec records showed there are 140,634 registered voters in the province in the May elections.

If each voter is given P500, the money spent for vote-buying would amount to P70.3 million.

Comelec officials here advised witnesses to prepare sworn statements and substantiate their allegation so that cases could be filed against politicians and supporters involved in such illegal act.

Martin had confirmed that in the 2004 elections, government employees, including department heads, had reportedly participated in massive vote-buying conducted by some politicians.

The policemen have written to the Civil Service Commission a letter seeking its participation in monitoring the activities of government employees in the May polls.

Supt. Alexander Pumecha, director of the Abra Provincial Police Office, said if witnesses are afraid to execute affidavits, they could call policemen who could respond swiftly and arrest the persons engaged in vote-buying.

It was learned that there is a possibility that the money being used in vote-buying is fake. Authorities had earlier raised concern about the reportedly rampant use of counterfeit bills in the mid-term elections.

Martin appealed to the people of Abra to cooperate with the police and report violations of election laws.

He said any request from politicians for security escort would undergo assessment before this could be recommended for approval.