Vote-buying still present amid reforms, mayor says

DESPITE reforms by the Aquino administration, vote-buying will still be prevalent during the election season, a Cebu town mayor said yesterday.

In yesterday’s weekly 888 forum, Consolacion Mayor Teresa Alegado said vote buying remains rampant in the grassroots level even during the barangay elections.

“These are in areas where for them candidates aren’t relevant. It’s still the money that is being offered to them that determines whom they will vote for,” she said.

Alegado said it’s still the masses who remain the largest constituency for local government units (LGUs).

Being a Liberal Party (LP) candidate, Alegado said she’s doing her part in improving the welfare of her poor constituents.

She said she started transforming her community by reaching out to the grassroots level in keeping with the “matuwid na daan (straight path)” motto of the Aquino administration.

“We instituted the care for our children to be in school. We gave them feeding programs, we gave them teachers, we assist down to the day care centers until the elementary and high school level,” she said.

Alegado admitted she still cannot fully convince Consolacion residents to vote for her based on what she has achieved for now. “I cannot vouch for the (effects of) the reforms and whether it can immediately be seen but I have started it,” Alegado said. Correspondent Tweeny M. Malinao