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Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Village leader believes drugs money ‘funded’ bets
By Nancy R. Cudis
With Rene H. Martel
* Influence of narcopolitics admitted by officials
CEBU CITY -- Some officials admitted that the influence of narcopolitics in the recent barangay and youth elections is hard to prove, but incumbent Carreta village leader Marciano Ando did not waste time filing a complaint against his rival Eduardo Lauron Sr. for allegedly giving out P500 enclosed in sample ballots.
Ando told Sun.Star Cebu that he suspected a drug lord connected with Lauron gave the money. He presented six sample ballots, which his supporters received, as his evidence in the complaint he filed before the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
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“This is the first time that there is such an incident. Even the independent party, which has no barangay captain, gave out sample ballots for Lauron, attached with P500,” he said.
Lauron denied the allegations.
“If I was giving out P500, the watchers would likely have seen it and complained. He has every right to file (the complaint) but I am not afraid because I did not cheat. Maybe he knows the drug lord himself or maybe he could not accept his defeat. But I will not let it hinder my focus on serving the people of Carreta,” Lauron said.
Ando is tailing Lauron in the electoral race by 200 to 500 votes. He visited Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña Tuesday morning.
Osmeña said “criminal elements” will always involve themselves during elections because of their “financial interests” in the barangays.
He said video carrera operators and drug dealers will try to influence the outcome of the elections in the hope that sympathetic village officials get elected.
Legal
“And these things I do not tolerate, BO-PK (Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan) or not BO-PK (members). And the record speaks for itself,” the mayor said.
He will provide legal assistance to Ando in his complaint against barangay captain-elect Lauron.
But, Osmeña said, he will have lawyers evaluate all requests for legal assistance by BO-PK allies, adding that Ando’s case is something he “cannot even ignore.”
Ando said the six persons who received the sample ballots with P500 bills are willing to testify in court.
“I have no choice. As elected leader of this city, it is my duty to uphold the law,” Osmeña said.
North District Election Officer Marchel Sarno said that penalties for election-related complaints, if proven true, include one to six years of imprisonment.
In an interview, Lauron said he and Ando used to be good friends before he decided to run for barangay captain.
Lauron has eight children and owns a scrap-buying business. He made rounds in the barangay Tuesday, pointing out specific areas to be repaired, painted, or reinforced with infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Ando’s ally, Antonio Conahap, who won the third slot for councilor in Barangay Carreta, is giving his support to Ando.
Suspicion
“I am the number three councilor. But for me, I am number one because I suspect that other councilors are involved in vote-buying. I could not, however, make any conclusive statements regarding narcopolitics during the election but I could sense that there is,” Conahap said in a phone interview.
Four of the seven slots for councilor went to Lauron’s camp, specifically to Rey Francisco, Evangeline Natividad, Erwin Navales, and Jeffrey Oliveros.
Like Conahap, winning Luz Barangay Chief Nida Cabrera said that narcopolitics is present in her area but she cannot prove this for lack of evidence.
She is planning to file a libel complaint against a campaign manager and a councilor for repeatedly calling her “below-the-belt names” such as “kawatan” (thief) during a gathering of officials and constituents before last Monday’s elections.
She won against Antonio Abella.
Proof
While Cheryl Robles of Barangay Sambag 2 admitted the involvement of drug money in her area, she said that the trend is more on “buying votes with money.”
She said her camp is consulting their lawyers over four to five persons who reportedly received sample ballots with P500 during the election.
“Leaders of the other camp gave them out during the election outside Abellana National High School,” Robles said.
They suspect that vote-buying had decreased the chances of their candidate for barangay captain, Jessie Aznar.
Mayor Osmeña said in Tuesday’s press conference that he will not tolerate vote-buying and narcopolitics.
“This is something I cannot ignore. It is happening before my own eyes and some people are willing to testify. Even if it’s just P500, I cannot ignore the fact that it’s my duty to uphold the law,” he said. (Sun.Star Cebu)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Bacolod. (October 31, 2007 issue)
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