Vote buy, "kidnapping"
mar brgy, SK elections
By KIT BAGAIPO

HOTLY CONTESTED. Several barangays in the province have their respective barangay and SK polls hotly contested as thousands troop to the various polling places tomorrow. Foto WILLIE MAESTRADO

Vote-buying and "abduction of voters" has marred tomorrow's holding of barangay and sangguniang kabataan (SK) elections. Meanwhile, a re-electionist barangay captain in Camili-an Ubay town was shot dead by unidentified tandem motorcycle riders. (See related story) Some 30,000 candidates will be vying for a total of 17,744 barangay and SK posts, records of the Office of the Provincial Election Supervisor show.

As early as Friday, there were already reports of SK voters who were abducted by candidates in some barangays.

Meanwhile, several candidates for barangay chairman here in the city and in the towns have started giving cash dole-outs, or inangayan.

Reports reaching the Chronicle revealed that dole-outs coming from bets for barangay captain range from P100 to as much as P1,000.

Candidates for barangay captain in hotly contested villages of Panglao has been giving out as much as P2,000 according to reports.

The barangay and SK race in Panglao is said to be a "proxy war" between arch-rivals incumbent Mayor Benedicto Alcala and former mayor Doloreich Dumaluan who has fielded their own candidates in the town's nine barangays.

A candidate for SK chair in the town of Jagna have been reported to be giving out P1,000 to each voter.

In one of the hotly-contested Poblacion barangays here in the city, SK supporters of one candidate are allegedly being grouped by ten and brought to houses of relatives and supporters of the candidate just to secure their votes in tomorrow's polls.

In Loay town, former mayor Olegario Clarin Jr. bared in an interview with the Chronicle yesterday that some municipal officials are openly campaigning for barangay and SK candidates.

Clarin said that in barangay Concepcion, voters were allegedly promised by Mayor Mae Imboy and her husband, Kag. Brigido Imboy, P100,000 in barangay funding if their candidates would win.

The spouses purportedly made the pledge during a barangay assembly last week were residents were supposed to hold a pulong-pulong with the candidates, according to Clarin.

In another incident, Loay Kag. Ondoy Adiong, whose son is running for SK chair in Poblacion Ubos, reportedly threatened yesterday Clarin's son, who is also running for the same position.

According to Clarin, even elements of the Loay PNP accompanied Adiong and Imboy when the two went to his residence asking for the whereabouts of his son (SK chair candidate).

Clarin said he was taken aback the way Loay police were being manipulated by the two local officials.

Efforts to contact Mayor Imboy for comments proved futile until presstime yesterday.

COMELEC READY

Despite the reported shortage of some official election forms and ballots, Provincial Election Supervisor Atty. Veronico Petalcorin assured the public yesterday that they are all set for tomorrow's polls.

The shortage of forms, the Comelec explained, is due to the increase in the number of registered voters here.

From 661,001 registered in the May 14 polls, the number of electors has increased to 696,440. SK registered voters totalled 59,134.

Comelec records show that there are 2,067 candidates for barangay captain, 16,511 for barangay kagawad, 2,136 for SK chairman and 9,170 for SK kagawad.

Of the 47 towns and the city, electors will choose 1,109 barangay captains, 1,109 SK chairmen as well as 7,763 barangay kagawads and 7,763 SK kagawads.

Here in Tagbilaran City, there are 41 bets for barangay captain for the city's 15 barangays.

ELECTION VIOLENCE

Re-electionist barangay chair Ramon Autida y Boncales, 30, of Camili-an, Ubay, was plying the national highway in barangay Lumangog aboard a motorcycle when two bonnet wearing tandem bikers drove by and gunned him down.

Autida was hit in the neck and fell off his motorcycle.

Ronald Autida, the victim's brother, told the Chronicle that when the assailants saw that Ramon was still alive, they came back and shot him again in the head which caused his immediate death.

According to Ronald, his brother held a political meeting with leaders and supporters in barangay Camili-an that ended past noon Sunday.

The brothers were on their way to barangay San Pascual when the incident happened, Ronald Autida said.

The family of the slain barangay leader claimed that the killing was politically motivated.
It allegedly involved a former barangay official who had a disagreement with Ramon.

RARE CASE

While giving of inangayan has been observed in many barangays, some 561 barangay and SK candidates in Maribojoc town signed a covenant last vowing to put an end to vote buying.

The covenant signing was initiated by Maribojoc Mayor Leoncio Evasco and the town's officials and parish priest Fr. Efren Dolauta.

The candidates, who welcomed the initiative, likewise agreed they will police themselves and report anyone who attempts to buy votes.

"You will be the ones to enforce this pact," said Evasco urging the candidates assembled at the Maribojoc gymnasium to "gather evidence of vote-buying and we will help you prosecute those who refuse to abide with the agreement" by virtue of the Omnibus Election Code.

In his speech, Evasco said he has already identified areas with hotly contested barangay and SK posts.

These barangays will be closely monitored, according to the mayor.

"Let this covenant be a small step towards realizing a dream of a fair, clean and honest elections," Evasco said.

The mayor likewise created 7 teams that will be monitoring the campaign and tomorrow's in Maribojoc's 22 barangays.

NEUTRALITY IN POLLS

Gov. Erico Aumentado has earlier declared that Bohol leaders have also agreed to be neutral in the barangay and SK elections.

Aumentado bared he had a pact with the three Bohol congressmen and the president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (Bohol Chapter) Jagna Mayor Exuperio Lloren that the barangay and SK polls should be non-partisan.

The governor likewise directed the mayors to distance themselves from barangay and SK candidates in their areas.

UNHEEDED WARNING

Stern warnings from Petalcorin has not deterred candidates from committing blatant violations to election guidelines.

Illegal posters and campaign materials are still displayed in public buildings outside of the designated poster areas.

Petalcorin urged the public not to support candidates who have openly violated election rules.

SK URGED 'NO VOTE-BUYING'

The National Youth Commission en banc urged all SK candidates and supporters to refrain from vote buying and other forms of traditional politics. Instead, candidates should focus more on their platform of government for the youth sector.

The NYC statement came after their monitoring reports in various barangays in the country citing early vote buying and other illegal acts violating election rules. The NYC has set up monitoring centers and deployed NYC personnel in various regions in order to assess the conduct of the October 29 SK elections.

Comm. Benjie Oliva of Visayas said that the youth should vote according to qualifications and youth agenda rather than monetary considerations.

SK elections should be solely for the youth and government institutions and the community itself should provide a true democratic and transparent process in electing SK officials which has a mandate of three (3) years. NYC also urges older people in the barangays with hidden agenda to stay away from the SK elections.

The Sangguniang Kabataan was created to prepare the youth for their greater responsibilities in the government and in the community in the future. The success of the SK lies also with the support of the community and institutions.