Curfews in Negros Oriental, (Sat and Sunday Coming)

[Lee]

80 outsiders were brought into the wifes barrio last night to vote against the incumbent barangay chief.

A local teacher intervened but not before a few were able to slip in and vote.

[Gator]

14 hours ago, Mike J said:

As a US citizen the only voting I am familiar with is a secret ballot.  Can you, or another member, explain how the process works here?  The idea that one or more "poll watchers" would know who a person votes for is very disturbing, even repugnant. 

Last election they highlighted one side of the ballot. When they punched it out they could tell by the color of the chads. In a neighboring barangay poll watchers were at the door to both intimidate voters and from their vantage point there and at windows they could see who person voted for. 

8 hours ago, hk blues said:

- folk are led to believe their vote will be monitored and thus more likely to vote for the candidate who paid the $s. 

Quite right. Intimidation by ppl standing at the entrance and working the voters as they waited in line. And if it were found out that they didn’t vote for candidate(s) who paid them they would be forced to pay it back as a 5/6 loan. 

8 hours ago, Jack Peterson said:

 This is very unlikely, Polling Staff are  not from the Barangay they they are posted to, I know because my wife was/is a polling Staff Today BUT not  at our own Barangay she is assigned to a Barangay twice removed from ours, She voted first then went to her posting ( certain Job holders are allowed to vote early so there job schedule is not disturbed) 

Same with my wife. She’s working in a different barangay as well as an admin clerk. Teachers are supposed to be non partisan and therefore deemed as being more trustworthy. She’s there for up to 24 hours; released from her duties once the final tally is in. Paid 5k …..not to shabby IMHO. 

[Lee]

12 hours ago, Lee said:

80 outsiders were brought into the wifes barrio last night to vote against the incumbent barangay chief.

A local teacher intervened but not before a few were able to slip in and vote.

Update on local city and barrio elections.

Almost every incumbent lost their election races. They handed out 100s of pesos per vote while the challengers handed out 1000s.

The candidate that bussed in 80 outsiders won his race. It appears that 40 of his crew were able to cast a vote anyway. His margin of victory was 28 votes.

Edited October 30, 2023 by Lee
spelling

[Mike J]

Almost 1000 vote buying cases under investigation and this only one day after the election. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/05/30/2184768/comelec-says-almost-1000-vote-buying-cases-under-investigation

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections is investigating almost 1,000 cases of vote-buying during the recently concluded 2022 elections, it disclosed Monday.

In an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel's "Rundown" early Monday morning, Comelec Commissioner George Garcia also said that the separate disqualification cases are now up for resolution after the respondents lodge their answers.

“We have almost 1,000 cases being investigated and we have several subpoenas issued, requiring the respondents to explain,” Garcia said. 

“In the case of disqualification cases involving practically the same fraud and irregularities, the cases are now submitted for resolution after the respondents are required to file their answer."

Almost 2,000 vote-counting machines were found to be defective in some way or another on election day, though Comelec Commissioner George Garcia at the time claimed these were all "common issues."

This came after the Comelec confirmed a "data breach" in poll machine provider Smartmatic, though it was careful to say that the leaked information was not election-related. 

RELATED: Comelec: Too early to tell if Smartmatic still tapped in 2025

The Comelec on election day also reminded the public that distributing sample ballots outside of polling precincts was an election offense, though the distribution continued to go on unhampered for the entire day, oftentimes even in front of personnel of the Philippine National Police deputized by the Comelec. 

“In the case of other fraud that you have mentioned, like for example, the presence of this garbage in one area in Cavite, and the data breach that happened, these are ongoing investigations,” Garcia also said Monday morning as he assured the public of full transparency.

"But definitely, I can promise you, we will come up and we will be very open and transparent to reveal to the public what happened and transpired in these investigations."

In the same interview, Garcia said that the Comelec would lobby Congress for a law against the use of social media trolls during the campaign period, claiming that the absence of a law regulating social media in the country rendered the poll body "powerless" in monitoring candidates' online campaign spending. 
Earlier, Tsek.ph — a collaborative fact-checking project for the 2022 Philippines’ elections and an initiative of academe, civil society groups and media — said its findings indicate the Marcos Jr. is the top beneficiary of online disinformation. 
"Easily, anybody who will be victimized by these trolls can file cases in relation to cyber libel. But of course, it's very difficult to prove and at the same, it's very difficult to pinpoint the liability of individuals in this case," Garcia said. 

"That's the reason why in the next Congress, we will push for a social media regulation at least as far as election expenditure and campaign is concerned," he added.

Comelec: Most complaints don't include evidence
Per the Comelec Task Force Kontra Bigay's latest update on 11:30 a.m. Monday, it received exactly 1,111 messages and emails on its official channels while the Comelec Law Department received 117 reports or verified complaints.

Of which, 210 concerned citizens were asked to file their affidavit with evidence for a potential motu proprio case against the supposed persons involved in vote-buying and selling.

"Out of the 210 concerned citizens requested to file their affidavits, there are only 3 that are willing to pursue their complaints," the task force said. 

Meanwhile, according to the Comelec legal unit, out of the 171 emails, 88 can be considered valid reports and have been officially recorded. Of the 88 recorded reports on the other hand, only 49 were submitted with supporting evidence.

In a Viber message to reporters, Comelec director and acting spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said that once the Commission en banc decides to file a criminal case, the People of the Philippines will be the listed complainant in the Regional Trial Court while the Comelec legal department or field office will be the prosecutor.

"What’s important to note here is the conduct of the preliminary investigation, then if there’s finding of probable cause, the ultimate filing of Criminal Information in the RTC having jurisdiction of the place where the election offense of vote buying is committed," he said. 

In cases filed with either the Commission or the National Prosecution Service, the Comelec Law Department will be the one to conduct the investigation.

"Some of the reports received through the FB page are not vote-buying/selling related incidents, [while] similar complaints were received regarding videos that went viral," the Task Force Kontra Bigay also observed.

"Some would message the FB page just to insult the Commission; and many reported vote-buying incidents but are afraid to testify."

It added that of the 210 concerned citizens requested to file their affidavits, only 3 are willing to file and actively pursue complaints.

"This is excluding the requests for investigation which were transmitted just today. There are about 5 with blotter extracts and affidavits."

[Old55]

Mike that took place July 2022 I'm curious if there was any follow up on those charges?

Edited October 31, 2023 by Old55

[Mike J]

4 minutes ago, Old55 said:

Mike that took place July 2022 I'm curious if there was any follow up on those charges?

My apologies to forum members for posting old/outdated news. 

My bad, did a google search and it returned the article.  Thanks for catching my error.  This being the Philippines and a justice system that moves like molasses, I expect not much has happened?

[hk blues]

1 hour ago, Mike J said:

My apologies to forum members for posting old/outdated news. 

My bad, did a google search and it returned the article.  Thanks for catching my error.  This being the Philippines and a justice system that moves like molasses, I expect not much has happened?

Don't worry - they will probably just regurgitate the same article and change the date to 2023! 

[Freebie]

On 10/30/2023 at 5:50 AM, Mike J said:

As a US citizen the only voting I am familiar with is a secret ballot.  Can you, or another member, explain how the process works here?  The idea that one or more "poll watchers" would know who a person votes for is very disturbing, even repugnant. 

Thats exactly how its done. you take the money  ( or the sardines or the rice etc ) and you vote for whoevers money you took.

One prospective barangay kagawid, paid for 20 folk from a small town in Leyte, but who live in Manila, to take the bus back to their home town barangay.. on the premise that the 20 would vote for him. For sure he didnt pay for their bus fare without some guarantee of their votes. Its been this way forever here.. as repugnant as it maybe to you, its not going to change .

[fillipino_wannabe]

There's a 'squatters palengke' with about 30 stalls just near my Wifes shop by the side of the highway, the Kapitan made a big show of moving them all on a month ago. Now he's been reelected they're all back today, supposedly paying him 300 pesos each per day