Cops arrest truck driver distributing sacks of rice from candidates
Davao de Oro. INQUIRER FILES
DAVAO CITY – Police arrested the driver of a white Howo trailer truck loaded with sacks of rice, after part of the load was found out to be distributed by barangay officials in a village of Nabunturan town, Davao de Oro province in violation of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) rule prohibiting vote buying.
Police Lt. Col. Eduard B. Jungco, chief of police in Nabunturan town, said the truck loaded with sacks of rice was parked in front of the house of a barangay official at Purok 6 of Barangay Manat on Tuesday, May 6; and that the barangay police were involved in unloading and distributing the rice to people in the community.
According to the concerned citizens who reported the presence of the truck to the police at 9:28 a.m. on Tuesday, a group of people were found at the back of the barangay captain’s house, lining up to receive the rice. The informants also said the personal secretary of the barangay chair of Poblacion village, Nabunturan town and a candidate for vice mayor of the town were present during the distribution.
When the police arrived at the scene, the rice had already been unloaded to the house of a barangay official, whom the police did not name.
Police arrested the truck driver and confiscated the trailer truck and the remaining rice and brought these to the Nabunturan police office for documentation and proper disposition.
Police officials, however, did not explain why only the truck driver was arrested, when barangay officials were allegedly involved.
Comelec Resolution 11104 which prohibits vote-buying and vote-selling carries with it penalties of imprisonment for1 to 6 years without probation and disqualification from public office and deprivation of the right to suffrage.
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Among the law enforcement team who went out to check the reported sacks of rice was Jomar G Guboc, a Comelec clerk under the direct supervision of Haneliza A Villa, Election Officer III in Nabunturan town.
