CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Local candidates in some
municipalities in the province are recruiting people from their respective
localities who are willing to commit loyalty and even ready to sell their votes
come May 2013 elections.
“Para lang itong
networking. Nagpaparami ng narerecruit sa bawat Barangay hanggang sa ma-cover
and buong bayan. Mayroon dyan coordinator, cluster coordinators tapos mga
leaders sa barangay level lahat yan tumatanggap ng regular na allowance
hanggang sa eleksiyon,” Nora, (not her true name), unemployed single mom told
Sun Star Pampanga.
Nora’s services during election period are for sale. In
fact, she admitted that she has been selling her vote for nine years now.
“Noong una natatakot din ako at nakokonsiyensa pero wala
akong trabaho at may mga anak pa ako. Binayaran ako nung first time ng isang
kandidato limandaang piso gabi bago ang eleksiyon sumunod at isang libo at
limandaang piso. Dito na ako natutong maging coordinator tuwing ganitong
panahon at ako na mismo ang nagre-recruit ng tao,” she said.
She revealed that a typical politician who wanted to win
an election needs a bigger network that’s why the recruitment process began
even before the start of the local campaign period.
“Masakit man pero pera pera lang ang laban ngayon. Kung
sino ang maraming pera na ibibigay sa tao hanggang sa huli ay siya ang iboboto
nila,” Nora lamented.
As political coordinator, Nora usually hires cluster
coordinators who likewise hire deputies in every barangay.
The deputy coordinators are tasked to recruit leaders in
every barangay until such time that they have already saturated the community
in favour of a particular candidate.
Others are also taking advantage of this season wherein
they will give their vote to the highest bidder.
“Ako ang iboboto ko iyong makapagbibigay sa akin ng mas
malaking halaga,” Mang Marcell (not his real name) told Sun Star Pampanga.
It
was learned that Under Section
261 of the Omnibus Election Code, vote-buying and vote-selling are
prohibited:
"Any
person who gives, offers or promises money or anything of value, gives or
promises any office or employment, franchise or grant, public or private, or
makes or offers to make an expenditure, directly or indirectly, or cause an
expenditure to be made to any person, association, corporation, entity, or
community in order to induce anyone or the public in general to vote for or
against any candidate or withhold his vote in the election, or to vote for or
against any aspirant for the nomination or choice of a candidate in a
convention or similar selection process of a political party" and
"Any
person, association, corporation, group or community who solicits or receives,
directly or indirectly, any expenditure or promise of any office or employment,
public or private, for any of the foregoing considerations."
Under the same law, violators shall face imprisonment of not less than one year
but not more than six years. He or she shall likewise be deprived of the right
to vote and be disqualified from holding public office.
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