LUCENA CITY, Quezon, Philippines—Vote buying, reports of harassment and confusion on voting sites marred the plebiscite that would decide whether Quezon would be divided into two new provinces–Quezon del Sur and Quezon del Norte.

In Lucena City since Friday evening, “no” campaigners allegedly paid voters P100 to P150 to reject Republic Act 9495, the law that paved the way for voting on the division of the province, in the plebiscite.

“Our purok leader was the one who gathered the voters, transported us in a passenger jeep and gave us P150 each in exchange for a ‘no’ vote for the continuous progress of the whole province. But why were they buying votes?” said a house help in Barangay Cotta who requested that her name not be mentioned for fear of retaliation.

She said she accepted the money but she still voted “yes.”

“I’m not a fool. I got their money because I needed it for my family but they couldn’t force me to do things I didn’t like. I just told them that I voted ‘no’ and they even thanked me,” she said.

Witness

A female “no” campaigner was seen handing over crisp P100 bills to a group of voters in Barangay Isabang.

When one voter noticed and told them that they were being watched, they hurriedly left.

A broadcaster from dwKI-FM based in Lucena reported that “yes” campaigners were also buying votes in Mulanay, Quezon in the Bondoc Peninsula area.

Ben Palentinos, another dwKI-FM broadcaster, also reported that “yes” watchers in Candelaria town polling centers were harassing “no” voters.

The principal of Isabang Elementary School ordered the removal of a large “No to Hati Quezon” streamer that hung at the front fence of the school.

Jasmin Mendogorin, “no” watcher in precinct 0152-A in Cotta Elementary School, said she was promised P500 as payment for her poll duty.

She was sporting an ID card issued by the “Kalipunan ng Reporma Para sa Nayon” and signed by Quezon Gov. Rafael Nantes as chair.

Financial promise

Her counterpart from the “yes” camp was also promised an undisclosed amount in exchange for protecting the affirmative votes during the counting.

Unlike regular elections, poll officials complained that they had to spend their own money for food.

“There are no political candidates around that have always been ready to serve us with food and drinks,” one teacher said.

Diocese of Lucena Bishop Emilio Marquez lamented that massive vote-buying by anti-Quezon split campaigners happened in different areas of the diocese, particularly in central parts of the province.

“Why can’t these politicians restrain themselves from using their guns, goons and gold? They again pollute the people’s voice with their abominable style of old politics which has no more place in our society,” the bishop said over the phone.

Lucena Mayor Ramon Talaga Jr. confirmed the alleged massive vote-buying incidents by “no” campaigners in the city.

“But the people of my city are intelligent. They can’t just be fooled by this dirty tactic,” he said.

Missing

Many voters also complained of missing names on the lists in their old polling precincts.

In Gumaca town in the province’s 4th districts, Catholic priest Ding Daño said they received reports of vote-buying by “no” campaigners in Calauag town.

“Except for those isolated vote-buying incidents, the conduct of the plebiscite in areas under the Diocese of Gumaca was generally peaceful because the great majority of us voted ’yes’,” he said in a phone interview.

Senior Supt. Fidel Posadas, Quezon police chief, said except for some unconfirmed reports of vote-buying, the conduct of the plebiscite was generally peaceful all throughout the province.

Posadas had placed the entire police force on red alert for the plebiscite.

In Infanta town, Fr. Mario Establecida, vicar general of the Prelature of Infanta, said the conduct of the plebiscite in northern Quezon, was generally peaceful.

“Thank God, we have yet to receive reports of any untoward incidents,” he said in a phone interview noontime Saturday.

Lawyer Allan Enriquez, chief of the Commission on Election-Quezon, attributed the heightened tension in the plebiscite to the participation of politicians in the campaign to push and defeat the new law.

From the estimated 900,000 total voters in Quezon, the Comelec expected only a 50 percent turnout.

Under Republic Act 9495, 17 towns in the first and second districts of the province will be known as Quezon del Norte and Lucena City will remain as capital.

Quezon del Sur will be composed of 22 towns in the third and fourth districts with Gumaca town as the capital.

Delfin T. Mallari Jr., Inquirer Southern Luzon