A SENIOR citizen and a village official were among the persons arrested by police for allegedly buying votes last Monday, May 13.
In Barangay Lorega-San Miguel, Cebu City, members of the Parian Police Station caught Andrea Amarilla Fernandez, 66, distributing sample ballots of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan with a P100 bill attached to each ballot.
Police seized P1,300 in cash and a cellphone from the suspect.
Parian Police Station Chief Armando Labora said a concerned citizen informed the station about Fernandez’s activities.
In Barangay Looc, Danao City police took into custody six persons and seized P21,270 from them.
One of the suspects, Looc Barangay Captain Joselito Cane, 54, was arrested by vice mayoral candidate Mile Enriquez.
Police Regional Office 7 Director Debold Sinas said his personnel arrested a total of 12 persons involved in vote-buying activities in different parts of Central Visayas.
Total deployment
As of 8 p.m. last Monday night, Sinas said they had conducted 453 operations against liquor ban violators, resulting in the arrest of 123 persons.
Police also rescued three minors, but eight persons escaped.
The violators were either caught drinking in public places or buying liquor.
The liquor ban was in effect from 12 a.m. Sunday, May 12, to 12 a.m., Tuesday, May 14.
The Philippine National Police deployed 8,174 personnel to protect 2,914 voting centers in Central Visayas.
Sinas said the force was augmented by 1,442 soldiers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, 1,020 from Philippine Coast Guard and 700 barangay public safety officers, bringing a total of 10,445 personnel deployed all over the region.
Two shooting incidents were reported in Negros Oriental and Bohol.
In Barangay Albiga, Siation, Negros Oriental, a drunken Jobencio Ade ran amok at 4 a.m. last Sunday. He was shot after he tried to shoot a police officer. He was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
At 1 a.m. Monday, Lucas Wate landed in the hospital after he was shot by unidentified men, while his companion Michael Gaslang was mauled.
The victims, who survived the incident, are supporters of Helario Ayuban, a mayoral candidate in Loay, Bohol. (From AYB of SuperBalita Cebu, KAL, EOB)