MASBATE CITY — Six persons were arrested in four different towns in Masbate province for vote-buying on election day.
In Barangay (village) Kinamaligan, Masbate City around 4 a.m., 81 mail envelopes with cash amounting to P105,300 was confiscated from Nilo Broñola, 43, incumbent councilor of the said village.
At around 6:30 a.m., police also caught Fernando Francisco, 42, barangay administrator of Pasiagon in Placer town. Confiscated from him were three mail envelopes with P500 each and sample ballots of candidates.
Meanwhile, two persons were arrested in Barangay Poblacion in Mandaon town around 7:30 a.m. for buying votes. Garry Gara, 49, and Leony Paglinawan 52, residents of Barangay Nailaban in the same town, were caught in possession of 16 pieces of P100 bills amounting to P1,600.
In Aroroy town, Earl John Espinosa, 20, was also caught vote-buying around 12:30 a.m. in Barangay Puro. Confiscated from him was P200 with a candidate’s name stapled on the bill.
From the same town, Christopher Rojo, 21, was also caught over buying of votes around 1 a.m. in Barangay Talabaan. A P100 bill with the candidate’s name stapled on it was confiscated from him. (Editor: Julie Grace M. Espinosa)