Citizens arrest 2 men for vote-buying
URBIZTONDO—Who said it can’t be done, or that nobody will dare do it?
For the first time in Pangasinan, and perhaps in the country, a citizen’s arrest was effected against two men from this town who were suspected of violating the election law.
Charges have been filed before the Provincial Prosecutors Office against the two suspects, alleged supporters of re-electionist Board Member Raul Sison, who were identified as Joel Teniente and Paterno Arcillas, residents of Barangays Pinlac and Real, respectively, allegedly for vote-buying.
The suspects were brought to the Urbiztondo Police by Darwin Catelan and Dennis Aquino who effected the citizen’s arrest in Sitio Bobol, Barangay Dalanguiring.
The Police Provincial Police Office, through Senior Inspector Ryan Manongdo, hailed the two residents for helping in arresting vote-buyers and said this is a commendable act since the police alone cannot stop election violations.
Provincial Elections Supervisor Marino Salas, for his part, said the incident was the first such arrest made by concerned citizens on suspected vote-buyers.
NO EVIDENCE?
Found in the possession of the suspects were a list of names with contact numbers and ten pieces of P1,000 bill.
The suspects have denied the charges saying they were just walking along the road when a group of men with handguns accosted them and were told to go with them.
Sison, for his part, expressed anger over the incident saying the accusation against his men are baseless as no evidence was presented by the supposed witnesses.
The two suspects, now under the custody of Urbiztondo Police, are facing charges for violation of the Omnibus Election Law (Vote-buying, punishable under Section 261 of Batas Pambansa Bilang 881).
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