Thursday, May 03, 2007 Allegations of vote-buying abound as May 14 polls near By Ben O. Tesiorna
ALLEGATIONS of massive vote-buying by politicians in the region abound as the May 14 election nears.
In the Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos), Davao del Norte gubernatorial reelectionist Gelacio Gementiza was accused of giving P200 to residents of Babak last Tuesday where he was the guest of honor of the Borres clan reunion.
Reports reaching Sun.Star Davao revealed that the Igacos incident was not the first. Same activity was also reportedly conducted in Panabo City, Carmen, Sto. Tomas and Braulio Dujali.
Efforts to reach Gementiza's camp for their reaction, however, proved futile.
Here in Davao City, the camp of House Majority Prospero Nograles was also accused of giving away bags of rice, noodles, and canned goods to their supporters in San Rafael, Ma-a Tuesday evening.
A cameraman of ABS-CBN Davao identified as Tony Manansala was also allegedly choked by an armed man while taking video footage of the activity there. The armed man is believed to be a bodyguard of Nograles.
ABS-CBN news manager Art Bonjoc Jr. said they received a text message from concerned citizens that evening regarding the activity in San Rafael where a meeting of Nograles supporters was being held.
Upon the news team's arrival composed of Manansala and reporter Rodirey Salas, the cameraman readily took establishing shots of the area.
Bonjoc said a burly man in white shirt and with a gun tucked in his waist, however, shouted at the news team and ordered Manansala to stop taking footage.
"Sinigawan si Tony (Manansala) na patayin ang camera, nang magmatigas si Tony biglang hinawakan si Tony sa leeg nung matabang lalaki at sya mismo yung pumatay sa camera," Bonjoc narrated.
The whole thing allegedly happened right in front of a police team who were in the area just across the street. The police allegedly did nothing to stop the manhandling of the cameraman.
"Tapos nung puntahan ng team ang police para mainterview, andun pa rin yung matabang lalaki at nakabantay," Bonjoc said.
Though they could not establish as fact that the burly armed man was indeed Nograles's bodyguard, Bonjoc said they are certain that the activity there that night was conducted by Nograles's camp as evidenced from the bags of goodies distributed that has marking of Nograles and Kalahi partylist where the lawmaker's son, Karlo, is the second nominee.
In a telephone interview, Nograles however denied any knowledge of the incident.
"Inside our bunk house? That's impossible. There was police visibility and patrol cars outside the main streets so police on duty there should know," Nograles said.
He also denied that he has a civilian bodyguard.
"My security (personnel) are all police. Do not have private army. Never had," said Nograles.
He said that what they gave to the people in San Rafael were food assistance to their poll watchers who were then attending that night's seminar.
"What's wrong with giving food assistance to out poll watchers," Nograles asked.
The lawmaker said it is not illegal to give just compensation to people who will be working for them. He divulged that the Lakas-CMD have given him the task of finding 14,600 poll watchers for the May 14 elections here in Davao City.
Nograles lambasted his critics for again falsely imputing crime against him. He said that common sense dictates that there is no need for him to "buy votes" considering that he has no serious opponent in this election.
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte earlier said too that there is nothing wrong in giving food to the people, which some considers as vote-buying.
"Alangan gutumon nimo nang mga tao (unless you want these people to be hungry)," Duterte said during a rally in Shanghai, Matina Aplaya last week.
