Crack down on vote-buying, Cebu police officials told

POLICE officials in Central Visayas were told to strengthen their presence at the barangay level to prevent vote-buying during the election period.

“Kayo dapat bumaba rin kayo sa (You should go down to the) barangay (level). It’s all about intelligence. You want to stop vote buying, it’s all about intelligence and it’s all about assertiveness,” Chief Supt. Marcelo Garbo told pollce officials.

Garbo, Police Regional Office (PRO-7) chief, issued the reminder to Cebu-based police officials during the first round of the Election Security Workshop.

The workshop will also be done in Negros Oriental and Bohol this week.

Garbo likened election cheating to a “war between good and evil” and he said the police plays a crucial role in ensuring that good candidates will win in this year’s midterm elections.

“Because of our deputization by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), we have so much power (and we should use this responsibly),” Garbo said, referring to Pope Francis’s statement on fighting evil by doing good.

Garbo said the workshop will help draw up a program to be used by the police in responding to election incidents, particularly vote-buying.

Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, chief of the Lapu-Lapu City Police, said the candidates should also be educated on the issue.

Garbo admitted that stopping vote buying is difficult.

“There is no definite procedure or action plan on how to do it , that is why we are here to share our experiences , what is important is we’ll be serious and assertive in doing our job,” Garbo said.

Senior Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, Cebu provincial police chief, said they are also monitoring hotspots like Bogo City and others where political rivalries are intense. With Correspondent Chito Aragon