CEBU CITY, Philippines – An attempt to buy votes in southern Cebu was foiled by the military when they chanced upon a village chief and councilman carrying bundles of small bills attached to the sample ballots of the pro-administration One Cebu slate, in Dumanjug town, some 73.3 kilometers southwest of Cebu City.
Aside from two large bundles of P20 bills, there were also several envelopes containing P150 (3 pieces of P50 bills) and sample ballots bearing the names of Lakas-Kampi presidential candidate Gilbert Teodoro, Nacionalista Party vice-presidential bet Loren Legarda, and senatorial candidates down to the local candidates of One Cebu headed by reelectionist Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.
Senior Insp. Rodrigo Giangan, chief of the Dumanjug Police, said the team of the Philippine Army headed by Lt. Lavrenet Meriales of the 78th Infantry Battalion was on foot patrol in Barangay Canghumawod at 2:20 p.m. on Saturday when they noticed two persons sitting on a bamboo bench.
Giangan said Meriales noticed the P20 bills in two bundles placed inside a plastic bag. The two identified themselves as Canghumawod barangay chairman Herminigildo Edimne and his councilman Felix Calago.
They later found out that the two were carrying more money inside a bag that also contained the One Cebu sample ballots, said Giangan.
Edimne was later brought by Mariales to the police station of Dumanjug for more questioning and inventory of the items in his possession.
Based on the inventory report read by Giangan, the two had 110 white envelopes, each containing three pieces of P50 bills or P150 and sample ballots bearing the names of One Cebu candidates from national and local positions.
The sample ballots contained the names of Gilbert Teodoro for president, Loren Legarda for vice-president, senatorial candidates – Estrada, Remulla, Guico, Sotto, Tamano, Revilla, Cayetano, Tatad, Lapid, Drilon, Enrile and Marcos; Pablo Garcia for congressman in the second district; Gwendolyn Garcia for governor; Glenn Soco for vice-governor; Calderon and Caminero for board members; Nelson Garcia for mayor; Rodrigo Pan for vice-mayor; and eight candidates for councilors in Dumanjug.
Originally Posted by lucius
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