MANILA — Reports of vote buying and complaints regarding missing polling centers are the main complaints reported during Monday’s Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls.
This was announced by Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde in a press briefing at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Command Center in Manila.
Albayalde said areas with reports of vote buying include Taguig City, Calauag and Lucena towns in Quezon, and Calamba City in Laguna.
“We are really very careful with such reports. We need them to be validated,” he said.
For his part, Comelec acting Chairman Al Parreño noted that formal complaints should be filed before them against such illegal activities.
“We ask them to gather evidence and file them directly with Comelec so we can quickly act on these complaints,” he added.
Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon, meanwhile, also urged media members to testify if they really witnessed such incidents.
“Those reporting on such matters can even stand as witnesses… those who captured them on video,” she said.
On the other hand, Poll body Commissioner Sheriff Abas added that they received 6,736 reports of voters who initially were not able to locate their polling precinct assignments.
“Our Command Center were able to respond to all these queries and our voters were able to find their precincts,” Abas said.
Voting officially closed at 3 p.m. except in polling precincts which opened later than 7 a.m..
The extension of voting hours in these precincts would be determined on a case-to-case basis, according to the poll body. (PNA)
