Solid North party-list first nominee faces complaint of vote buying

Poll Chair George Erwin Garcia during briefing after the first day of filing for the 2025 midterm polls at the Manila Hotel Tent City in Manila. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES

MANILA, Philippines — A formal complaint has been filed against the first nominee of the Solidarity of Northern Luzon People (Solid North) party-list and a schools division superintendent in Abra for alleged vote-buying and bribery.

According to Commission on Elections Chairman George Erwin Garcia, the complaint against Solid North Party-list first nominee Menchie Beronilla Bernos and Schools Division Superintendent of the Department of Education (DepEd) – Abra Amador Garcia was filed last March 7.

READ: Comelec vows strict measures to combat vote-buying, selling, abuse

The complaint stems from an incident that took place last February during the DepEd Abra Education Summit at the Governor Andres Bernos Memorial Gymnasium, based on a press release from petitioner Herminio Zapata.

Bernos, despite not holding a position at the DepEd, was allegedly seen with her husband on stage alongside Garcia and other education personnel. This raised concern about whether the government-organized event had been politicized.

Attendees also allegedly received P3,000 in cash and tumblers with “Cong Ching Bernos” label, the Solid North circular logo, and its official ballot number after Bernos delivered a speech.

They allegedly violated Sections 261 (a) (1) and (b) of the Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines, which prohibits vote buying and vote selling and penalizes conspiracy to bribe voters, respectively.