Councilor David Tumulak, who is running for mayor of Cebu City, claims that there were allegedly massive vote buying in the city. | screen grab from video interview of Delta Letigio
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City mayoral candidate, Councilor David Tumulak, called out candidates practicing vote buying this elections.
“Grabe gyod ang nahitabo karon. This is the first time in the history of Cebu City na grabe gyod ang vote buying from P200 to P400, P1,000 to P4,000. This is the first time. Shame on them,” said Tumulak.
(This is the worst thing that happened now. This is the first time in the history of Cebu City of rampant vote-buying happening from P200 to P400, P1,000 to P4,000. This is the first time. Shame on them.)
Tumulak said he received reports that political parties had allegedly been handing out sample ballots with cash to voters and households in the sitios.
He said that this might be a last ditch attempt to sway the results of the elections.
For this reason, Tumulak urged voters to vote conscientiously even if they received money from the candidates.
“Kasabot ta sa atong mga botante kay nanginahanglan sad sila. Pero sa atong mga botante, conscience vote lang, bahalag nidawat sila,” he said.
(I understand our voters because they needed the money. But to our voters, vote with your conscience, it does not matter if you received the money.)
He reminded voters that no one could see their votes and it would not be taken against them even if they received the money attempted for vote-buying.
For Tumulak, he assured supporters that he would not stoop down to the level of other “desperate” candidates and buy votes.
As an independent candidate, he also does not have the mechanism to do so.
Recently, Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan founder and leader, former Mayor Tomas Osmeña, decried messages saying that the BOPK is giving out P5,000 per family to voters.
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