Bikol Polls Marred by Violence, Massive Vote Buying

LEGAZPI CITY (12 May) -AN ASSESSMENT of Monday's polls by the PNP  regional office here reported that elections were generally orderly in the six provinces of the Bikol region, except for several incidents of intervention  by communist rebels in Albay, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, and Camarines Norte provinces. Also a PNP regional spokesman said that massive vote buying with reported apprehension by army troopers, were reported in provinces of Catanduanes, Albay and Camarines Sur.

As the elections concluded on Monday evening, Army 9^th Infantry Division spokesman Maj. Harold Cabunoc reported on Tuesday (May 11) that suspected communist rebels lobbed a grenade at a remote polling precinct in the upland village of Ubang, Capalonga, Camarines Norte at about 1:45 a.m on Tuesday, with voters still at the polling center, waiting for their turn to vote until early dawn.

Reportedly one of the voters, identified as Alvin Ibasco, 27, sustained shrapnel wound on his leg and later was treated at a district hospital.

Army Col. Cirilo Teodoro Torralba of the 902^nd Army Brigade dispatched troops to secure the polling center and augment police units of the Capalonga MPS.

Cabunoc also revealed that since May 8, leaders or "operators" of local politicians were apprehended by troopers for vote-buying in Catanduanes province, Pio Duran and Jovellar towns in Albay; cases of vote buying were also filed in a complaint at the Camarines Sur Provincial Police Office on May 11.

On the eve of Election Day, Major Cabunoc reported that an army detachment in Iyao, Giamlong, Caramoran, Catanduanes apprehended leaders aboard a vehicle owned by provincial board member Nathalio Popa Jr.

Soldiers of the 83^rd Inf. Battalion found 1,000 pieces of wallet calendar and bundles of P 500 pesos cash, totalling P 1.246-million, from those later identified as campaigners of Popa and Catanduanes gubernatorial candidate Joseph Aldea Santiago,

Caramoran MPS conducted an investigation on the apprehended leaders who admitted to the police that the cash was meant for vote buying.

Meanwhile, soldiers of the 83^rd Inf. Battalion also arrested three suspects who were handing out brown envelopes containing cash in Brgy. Quezon, Viga Catanduanes, also on the eve of elections.

Soldiers apprehended Gretchen Liton, 24, Leslie Liton, 23, and Edgar Tanel, 40, who were reportedly working for  vice-gubernatorial candidates Jose Teves.

792 brown envelopes containing P 150.00 with a total P109, 350.00 were recovered and handed over to the Viga town PNP for investigation.

Another army detachment conducting  election checkpoint at Brgy. Cuyaoyao, Pio Duran, Albay had apprehended Saturnino Pesino, 53, and Edgar Caluyo, 47, who had with them the amount  of P 1, 430,00 stapled to sample ballots with the name of Joe Ilarde, a candidate for councilor.

On May 10, 5:00 A.M at another COMELEC checkpoint in Brgy. Mamlad, Jovellar, Albay, soldiers apprehended Joven Losito, 48, and Jayson Mataba, 19, who were in possession of sample ballots with P 5, 300 pesos attached on them, as well as a voters' list of the barangay.

In the meantime, in Brgy. Magsaysay, Bagamanoc, Catanduanes, three political leaders buying votes for a local candidates were also apprehended; they were identified as Majin Quiros, Rowel Vitalicio and Gerry Pelagio.

Lt. Col. Romeo Basco of the 83^rd Battalion reported that some P59, 600 pesos were seized from the three men and later handed to the Bagamanoc MPS for the inventory and filing of election law violation.

Similarly, at the PNP provincial office in Camarines Sur, complaints of vote buying were filed by a barangay official and "padyak" bicycle drivers from Magarao town against mayoral candidate Salvador Señar.

The "padyak" drivers reported that on election day leaders of Señar ordered them to go to San Isidro, Magarao, the residence of the candidate, and gave them P1,000 each in envelopes in exchange for not voting anymore.

Indelible ink was put on their fingers, signifying they have already voted, the "padyak" drivers said.

The COMELEC reported more than 2,000 registered voters did not show-up in the voting precincts in Magarao, Cam. Sur, supposedly due to the massive vote buying that took place

In the towns of the Partido district, Camarines Sur, the hotly contested Congressional race between  Lakas-Kampi bet Teddy  Cruz and incumbent Congressman  Arnulfo Fuentebella (NPC) was also marred with massive vote buying.

The police reported confiscating sample ballots with P500 to P1,000 pesos attached to the sample ballots. (SONNY SALES)