The Commission on Elections 11 (Comelec 11) announced that the vote-buying complaint filed on Thursday by Barangay Atan-awe Chairman Ruel Ansal against a local candidate has been officially submitted to the agency’s Committee on Kontra Bigay.
On Thursday afternoon, lawyer Leslie Respicio, representing Ansal, lodged the complaint before Comelec 11 District 3, alleging vote-buying by the local candidate.
According to the complaint, the incident occurred on the morning of Tuesday, May 6, in Purok 7, Barangay Atan-awe, Toril District, Davao City.
“The Comelec has received the complaint, and we have forwarded it to the Committee on Kontra Bigay,” said Atty. Gay Enumerables, Assistant Regional Director of Comelec 11, during Kapihan sa PIA at NCCC-Victoria Plaza on Friday.
Enumerables revealed that this is the first vote-buying complaint in Davao City to be received by Comelec 11. She also warned that candidates found guilty of vote-buying could face disqualification.
She further noted that Comelec’s central office has already disqualified several candidates for engaging in vote-buying.
“This serves as a warning to candidates—we have already disqualified many due to vote-buying. We have a list, and we post updates on Facebook regarding candidates who have been disqualified for vote-buying,” Enumerables said.
Meanwhile, Enumerables addressed concerns regarding the reported distribution of sacks of rice in Nabunturan, Davao de Oro by barangay officials, clarifying that they were merely presumed to be used for vote-buying.
On Wednesday, police arrested the driver of a trailer truck loaded with sacks of rice after part of the shipment was allegedly distributed by barangay officials in a Nabunturan village.
The truck had been parked in front of a barangay official’s house in Purok 6, Barangay Manat, on Tuesday. Reports indicate that barangay police were involved in unloading and distributing the rice to local residents.
Enumerables explained that the investigation found no overt act of distribution.
“The sacks of rice in Nabunturan were investigated and held because there was only a presumption that they were intended for vote-buying. However, there was no clear act of distribution. They were held because they were delivered to a barangay official, which was verified and investigated,” she said.
Police Regional Office 11 (PRO 11) spokesperson Major Catherine dela Rey emphasized that the Office of the Prosecutor dismissed the case against the truck driver, stating that there was “no complaint linking him to vote-buying or the distribution of sacks of rice to voters. The respondent merely delivered the sacks of rice to the barangay captain’s house, and his participation ended there. According to the prosecutor, the act of delivering the rice alone does not constitute vote-buying.”
Dela Rey confirmed that the driver has since been released.
“There is still an ongoing investigation regarding the recipient of the delivery. The presumption was that the rice was meant for vote-buying, but again, it remains a presumption as there was no clear act of distribution,” Enumerables reiterated.
The sacks of rice remain in the custody of Nabunturan Police Station.
