OVER 80 people were arrested over alleged involvement in vote buying at the National Capital Region (NCR), regional police office director Major General Guillermo Eleazar said on Sunday, May 12.
Eleazar said the arrests were made amid the implementation of Task Force Kontra Bigay in participation with the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
"Sa ating bilang ay mahigit na 80, almost 100 kung 'di ako nagkakamali (ang naaresto). Sa Malabon ay isa, sa Muntinlupa ay 17, 26 sa Quezon City, at dito naman sa Makati kagabi ay 60. So bale, 86 na ang nahuli natin na involved buying and vote selling," he said.
He said the arrested persons were detained while appropriate charges against them are being prepared.
Vote buying and selling were considered as election offenses punishable by imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than six years.
Meanwhile, five armed men were arrested on Saturday evening in Oriental Mindoro over alleged vote buying and harassment of voters.
The arrested persons were identified as Noyme Moreno, 38, Jose Porras, 32, Restituto Constantino, 62, George Malacas, 31, and Dennis Nepomuceno, 32.
Mimaropa spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Socrates Faltado said Gloria town vice mayor Ramon Solas reported to policemen conducting checkpoint the presence of armed men boarding a white van.
He said cops were able to flag down the white van in Sitio Aplaya around 9 p.m.
Recovered inside the van were caliber .45 pistol pistols, two magazines for caliber .45 pistols, two magazines for a Glock 9 mm pistol, 18 rounds for caliber .45 guns, 31 rounds for a 9 mm pistol, and one cignus handheld radio.
Suspects were brought to the Gloria police station for proper disposition. (SunStar Philippines)