By Zen Trinidad and Robert Maico/Philippine News Agency
BIŇAN CITY, Laguna — A new form and unconventional way of alleged vote buying was discovered around noontime on Monday here.
Lawyer Ernelson Trojillo, one of the lawyers of mayoralty bet and former councilor Donna Yatco, bared to media that concerned village folks have complained of the suspicious green metal box that resembled like a raffle box placed in strategic areas near designated polling precincts.
Trojillo said a drop box was strategically positioned in the 20 public elementary schools in the city as per their monitoring and as reported by concerned citizens.
Trojillo noted that voters, who were alleged supporters of incumbent mayor and reelectionist Arman Dimaguila and Laguna board member bet Ann Matibag. dropped portions of the raffle stubs into the box after casting their votes.
He said people became suspicious when some voters dropped the raffle coupons discreetly to the boxes with the promise these stubs would be raffled off, as cash prizes and bags of rice are at stake.
“This also a form of vote buying, although non-conventional because they are giving rewards in exchange for their votes and the police is already investigating the case,” he said.
Trojillo added the boxes were brought to the Biñan City Police Station for further investigation, including the persons responsible for putting these boxes.
He said that they have filed a complaint and had the incident recorded in the police blotter for evidential purposes.
Trojillo said they have also taken a video and still shots of the alleged vote-buying incident and have found out that voters have to show their fingers with indelible ink before they are allowed to drop the raffle stubs.
“It’s a new technique. So we cannot blame the police because this is simply seen like a raffle and a cheapest form of vote-buying,” he said.
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