The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) is set to file complaints before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) against barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections candidates who were caught in the act of vote-buying, an official said Monday.
Interior Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs Martin Diño said the DILG would file the complaints later on Monday once the agency finished consolidating the reports it has received from concerned citizens.
He said vote-buying has long been rampant but it recently became widely-reported with citizens documenting it through the use of smartphones and posting it on social media.
“Kaya’t ngayon lutang na lutang ito kaya nangangahulugan lamang na nagbabantay ang ating mga mamamayan ngayon,” Diño said in an interview with Radyo Inquirer.
(It has been pronounced now because it only means that the public has become more vigilant.)
“Saka kami naman sa DILG, ido-document ko lahat ng ito at mamaya dederecho ako ng Comelec at ipa-file na namin ang mga kaso na ipinakita sa akin, yung mga nireport sa akin na kanya-kanyang lugar sa Pilipinas,” he added.
(We are documenting all the reports at the DILG and I will later go the the Comelec and file all the cases forwarded to us from different parts of the country.)
Diño explained that the complaints would be treated as inter-agency complaints and would be given priority by the Comelec unlike ordinary reports.
The official also called on local officials—mayors, governors, and congressmen—especially those who harass and intimidate some candidates to back out, to allow the people to choose the candidates themselves.
“Hindi naman pwede yon. Hindi naman pwede ang mamimili na ang mamumuno sa barangay ay ang mayor at ang congressman, governor dapat ang mamili ang taong bayan,” he said.
(It shouldn’t be like that. The mayor, congressman, and governor should not be the one to decide who who will lead the barangay, it should be the people.)
Diño added that some officials are using the barangay elections as a preparation for the 2019 midterm elections. / muf