Comelec’s head office at the Palais del Gobernador in Intramuros, Manila. (Philippine Daily Inquirer file photo)
MANILA, Philippines – The Electoral Commission (Comelec) has approved the issue of increased cell phone sales allegedly driven by massive vote buying from the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Acting spokesperson for the Electoral Commission (Comelec), Atty. John Rex Laudiangco, said Thursday that the PNP’s involvement in the investigation is separate from the effort of the National Telecommunications Communication (NTC) as well as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to get to the bottom of the case.
“Also, for the last [Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Concerns] meeting, we also approved at PNP ‘yung (the) matter of escalating (on) purchases (from) mobile phones at (at) Surigao del Sur to at (and at) Agusan del Sur,” Laudiangco said during of a press briefing.
“So not only the NTC looks at it, but also the [Armed Forces of the Philippines] and the PNP,” he added.
READ: Increase in cell phone sales due to vote buying? Comelec is waiting for the NTC report
Famous phone brands were reportedly sold in three shopping malls in Agusan del Sur following the May 9 national and local elections.
READ: ‘Vote buying’ frenzy drives mobile phone sales
To date, Comelec’s Task Force Kontra Bigay (Against Vote Buying) has received and responded to 933 reports on its Facebook account, Laudiangco said.
The task force email, meanwhile, received 167 complaints, but only 88 were valid. Of the valid reports, 49 provided evidence.
Comelec’s legal department has received 73 reports, of which 50 have already been acted upon.
KGA
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