Vendor arrested for influencing voters with balut
MALASIQUI— Finally, a case for vote-buying was filed in Malasiqui.
The election law offender was charged for influencing voters not with P100 or P1,000 bills but with balut.
Charged for violating the Commission on Elections (Comelec) resolution was Norma Guiling, 46, a vendor.
Her alleged vote-buying scheme for a candidate was to offer a piece of balut to each registered voter in barangay Asin West at the Calbeg Elementary School armed with a green stub.
Dominador Macasieb, a supporter of retired SPO4 Jimmy Guiling, a defeated barangay captain bet in Asin West, confiscated some 120 pieces of balut being distributed by Norma. About 180 stubs were also seized from Norma’s possession.
Supt. Benjamin Ocomen, officer-in-charge police chief here, said Wednesday that they had filed a case at the Prosecutor’s Office against Norma.
Macasieb believed that the balut was intended to favor the candidacy of Barangay Captain Remegio Ballesteros, who was re-elected.
Norma said she was only interested in the sale that she made and simply followed directions to give a balut each to anyone holding a green stub.
She added she didn’t realize the implication of the political gimmick attached to her supply of balut.
Ocomen, admitted, however that the complaint may eventually be dismissed because of the weak evidence, there being no name of a candidate written on confiscated stubs). “But we did what we had to do upon receipt of the complaint,” he said.
No other person or candidate was charged for vote-buying despite reported widespread vote-buying in the town.—Eva Visperas
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