Lawyer Reddy Balarbar, Pangasinan election supervisor, said complaints of vote-buying in the recently-concluded barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections swamped their Commission on Election (Comelec) offices around the province and various police stations.

“There is this thing called pakurong in Pangasinan dialect wherein candidates give either cash or in kind like grocery items to voters to win their votes,” Balarbar told The PUNCH.

Accusations and counter accusations were hurled by candidates against each other, particularly during the last few hours prior to the election proper, he said.

Cash amounts ranging from P20 each to P500 and goods such as bags of grocery items, plastic basins, bagoong, chicken, and mobile phone load were reportedly distributed by candidates.

Balarbar has advised the complainants to file a case against the violators before the Municipal Trial and City Trial Courts.

“I tell them that the ball is now in the hands of the courts where they should lodge their complaints,” he said.

Candidates who won but were found to have violated certain election laws could be disqualified, he added.

Others complained of last-minute campaigning of some bets by staying near polling precincts.

AROUND PANGASINAN

Shortage of ballots was experienced in Anda and in San Carlos City, but these were immediately addressed by sourcing excess ballots from neighboring towns.

There were also several reports of missing names of some voters, a perennial problem as described by Balarbar.

Meanwhile, Lawyer Remarque Ravanzo, Dagupan City election officer, said since Monday night, complainants have been approaching him for advice about protests on the election result.

But generally, Ravanzo said elections here were peaceful though marred with accusations of vote buying.

There were more new barangay chairmen elected in Dagupan City than those reelected, clearly indicating that in the just concluded barangay and SK elections, the people of Dagupan opted for change.

Records of the City Election Office showed that there were 19 new barangay chairmen who came out as compared to only 12 who were reelected from the 31 barangays in the city.

In Sitio Kalem, Barangay Tandoc, San Carlos City, one Bernabe

Bacani, alias  Ben, 59, married, the executive secretary assistant to the Office of the Vice  Mayor and a resident of said place, was arrested and turned over to San Carlos City Police Station by incumbent Bara-ngay Captain Raymundo Macam for directly participating in “vote buying”  about 3:20 a.m. Monday.

Confiscated from Bacani’s possession were several sample ballots, two of which were individually put together with six pieces of P50 bills, 49 pieces of P50 paper bills, one piece yellow paper containing a list of individuals to whom money was distributed and other personal belongings.- LM/CSR

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