By Helen Castaรฑo | 11:05 PM October 26, 2023
Four days before the Barangay and SK elections (BSKE) on Oct. 30, reports of incidents of vote buying are rampant in different parts of Bohol.
In Jagna town, two candidates for village councilors will be charged for vote buying.
The candidates were identified as Jaime Macas, candidate for kagawad in Barangay Canjulao and Joseph Musong in Barangay Pagina.
According to Police Maj. Joseph Lopena, chief of the Jagna Police Station, police personnel responded to the report of the vote buying incident in the said barangays.
Eventually, the candidates admitted it.
Musong gave P50 to senior citizens who attended a meeting. He admitted that he gave such an amount to the attendees, including the snacks because he used to do it.
“Ato gyud gipangusgan ug gitagaan og ngipon. Aside da mga national agencies nga nagsupport diri, labi na sa PNP, Coast Guard, Comelec ug DILG, dako kaayo ang suporta nga gihatag sa atong Mayor si Joseph Ranola in regards sa kontra bigay. Even naay musuporta sa mga barangay candidates mga dagko nga pulitiko, gibalibaran ni Mayor. ‘No! Atong gipangusgan diri sa Jagna nga no vote buying, one Jagna kontra bigay,'” Lopena said.
Lopena said they filed a vote buying complaint at Comelec-Jagna which they will decide to file a case at the Prosecutors Office.
Last Oct. 16, 692 candidates from 33 barangays of Jagna attended the “One Jagna Kontra Bigay sa Piniliay” initiated by Mayor Joseph Raรฑola.
