Vote-buying in Tambac needs more evidence – Comelec
ACTUALLY, it is a scam, it is a clear scam!
This was the reaction of Acting-City Election Officer Michael Sarmiento to the alleged vote-buying activity that reportedly took bio-metrics of voters then transmitted these to the computers of Comelec.
“The office of the Comelec is not connected to any candidate. Ang ating mga computers ay hindi konektado sa kahit anong makina, “clarified Sarmiento in an interview on K17 Kabaleyan Channel on Wednesday.
He said the claim that the ”biometrics” taken were connected to the computers of the Comelec was an attempt at “brainwashing the voters”.
Sarmiento and two of his personnel rushed to Barangay Tambac after he was informed that people were lining up waiting for their turn to enter an establishment to receive promised cash and groceries for simply having their biometrics taken and sign documents.
“Kung ako ang tatanungin, that’s really vote-buying,” said Sarmiento who admitted that he and his staff were not allowed to enter the establishment even after they introduced themselves as Comelec officials.
He said he and his staff stayed there for an hour and noted the unwelcome stares from the persons that lined up, apparently afraid that their chance to get cash and groceries like those before them, would be stopped.
When Sarmiento asked someone to take a video of those waiting in line, the crowd suddenly dispersed. But before they dispersed, one showed him a stub that had name and his precinct number, which Sarmiento suspected as having been sourced from the official voters’ list given out by Comelec to parties as their reference.
“This is computer-printed and it is not generated at hindi po galing sa Comelec,” Sarmiento said. The voters list is posted in front of the Voting Center, he added.
He said they can only conclude that it was really vote-buying but admitted it is difficult to prove in court unless someone will admit and execute an affidavit that he sold his vote to the buyer.
Asked why the voters were being made to leave their biometrics, Sarmiento said
it is possible that they were being brainwashed into thinking that once their
biometrics were already captured, they could
be identified as those who will be voting for a particular candidate.
Sarmiento condemned the vote-buyers for using the name of the Comelec in promoting particular candidates. He invited newsmen to visit his office and see for themselves if their computer is linked to the systems of the vote buyers. (Leonardo Micua)
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