P127,000 confiscated from vote-buying suspects in E. B. Magalona, Negros Occidental
Vote-buying suspects in E. B. Magalona, Negros Occidental, identified as Jocel Etang, 24, and Johnniel Etang, 23, with P127,000 in their possession were jailed.
Police Captain Jaynick Bermudez of EB Magalona Municipal Police Station, said that the suspects were incidentally caught.
Authorities went to Sitio Panaosawon, Barangay Tuburan, after receiving a report that Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) saw a man carrying a firearm.
When the man was already turned over to the police, incidentally, the Etang siblings passed by riding in a motorcycle. When the authorities ordered them to take off their helmets, they tried to escape.
However, one of the BPAT members was able to hold the hand of the driver and the motorcycle fell over.
Due to that, the brown envelopes that were in the possession of the siblings scattered in front of the policemen.
Based on the report from Bombo Radyo Bacolod, there were 127 small brown envelopes that were confiscated from the Etang siblings. Each envelope contained P1,000 and a sample ballot.
The sample ballots had the names of politicians from the slate of Negros Occidental 3rd District Board Member David Albert Lacson, a mayoralty candidate in E.B.Magalona.
According to the report, the Etang siblings refused to give a statement regarding the incident.
Currently, the vote-buying suspects are in jail as they face charges for transgressing the Republic Act 9006 or Fair Election Act.
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