Prosecutor orders release of 60 people in vote-buying cases

MANILA, Philippnes — The Makati City Prosecutor’s Office on Monday ordered the release for “further investigation” of 60 people, including three officials of Barangay San Isidro, who were arrested for alleged vote-buying and selling.

Lawyer Jose Solis said that assistant city prosecutor Jose Vizcarra Jr., with the approval of deputy city prosecutor Josefa Laurente, issued the release order after their camp presented evidence disproving the allegation made by the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).

Those arrested included San Isidro barangay treasurer Karen May Matibag, secretary Medlyn Joy Ong, administrative staffer Marie Antoinette Capistrano and five residents identified as Wenifredo Ong, Mario Louis Siriban, Adrian Chiapoco, John Brian Matibag and Ma. Liberty Dacullo.

Lawyer’s clarification

In a statement, Solis clarified that when the NCRPO operatives arrived at the barangay hall on Marconi Street at 10:45 p.m. Saturday, only the eight were there. The rest were outside, he said.

Police Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, NCRPO chief, earlier claimed that all the suspects were inside the barangay hall which was pitch dark.

Found inside were P500 bills totaling P410,000, a list of voters’ names with their addresses and polling precincts, and two boxes of Ulat sa Bayan leaflets with the name of reelectionist Mayor Abby Binay.

Solis said the seized items were not found in one, but several rooms inside the barangay hall.

He added that the watcher’s list was “intended to confirm if those [on it were] actual residents of the barangay.”

The money, he explained, were barangay funds hidden in a locked drawer and “intended for legitimate and official purposes, among them, the payment of the barangay payroll due on the 15th.”

As for the leaflets, Solis said that the Ulat sa Bayan was the Makati City government’s official annual publication. What the police seized, he added, were copies of the 2018 issue given out to all barangays.

“It is unfortunate that the NCRPO has chosen to make sweeping and baseless allegations which may be used by political interests that seek to mislead voters of Makati,” he said.

NBI raid in Navotas

In Navotas City, Councilor Marielle del Rosario, who is running for Congress, said a rival party could be behind the unauthorized raid conducted by National Bureau of Investigation agents (NBI) on her family’s property during a briefing for poll watchers.

“If the Commission on Elections (Comelec)… already said [it was] not behind the raid and even denied the request [of NBI], then who else?” she told the Inquirer on Monday.

Del Rosario’s rival is Mayor John Rey Tiangco, who is looking to switch posts with his brother, Rep. Toby Tiangco.

On Sunday, eight NBI agents went to the Del Rosario family’s covered court in Bacog, Barangay Daanghari, following allegations of vote-buying. Some 500 poll watchers were then gathered for a briefing.

The Comelec said on Sunday that it would conduct an investigation of the warrantless raid. —With a report from Nikka G. Valenzuela