Former Subangdaku Barangay Captain Ernie Manatad. /Photo: Ernie Manatad FB Page
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – Voters who transferred their registration to Mandaue City without actually residing there may face election-related charges.
Atty. Julius Ceasar Entise, legal counsel for Ernie Manatad—a former barangay captain of Subangdaku and a candidate for city councilor—said they are considering filing cases against individuals they suspect to be “flying voters.”
Entise stated that they are prepared to take legal action if these transferee voters are allowed to vote in the upcoming May elections.
Earlier, Manatad filed 28 petitions before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to remove 275 newly registered voters from the official list. He claimed that these individuals are “fictitious” or “flying voters” who do not actually reside in Mandaue City. His team, he said, conducted verifications with purok leaders to check the addresses of the respondents.
Manatad expressed concern that these questionable voters could influence the election results, especially in closely contested areas.
However, the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branch 2 dismissed the petition after some respondents appeared in court and challenged Manatad’s claim that their residences were unknown.
Under the 1987 Constitution, suffrage is granted to Filipino citizens who are at least 18 years old, have lived in the country for at least one year, and have resided in their intended voting location for at least six months before the election.
Entise revealed that their legal team has appealed the MTCC decision to the Regional Trial Court. He argued that only six out of the 275 respondents attended the hearing, and the absence of the others is prima facie evidence that they do not actually live in the barangay they claim.
He added that they may file election offense charges against those who transferred their registration without actual residency in Mandaue. They are also considering perjury charges against individuals who provided false information on their registration forms.
The case will be filed before the Mandaue City Prosecutor’s Office. Under Republic Act 11594, which increases penalties for perjury, those found guilty may face imprisonment of six years and one day to 10 years. Meanwhile, election offenses carry penalties of one to six years in prison.
Entise further disclosed that their initial verification identified 600 questionable voters, including the 275 in the current petition. With approximately 5,000 new transferee voters in Mandaue, they anticipate adding more names to their case, as filing election offense charges is less costly than petitioning for voter exclusion.
“Ang reason (sa pagfile) for making a representation nga taga Mandaue sila, in fact dili. Under oath manggud to ila gifill-upon (registration form), para makahibaw sila unsa ka sagrado ila gifill-upon. Para makat-on sila,” said Entise. (The reason for filing is to hold them accountable for falsely claiming to be residents of Mandaue. They signed their registration forms under oath, and they need to understand how sacred that commitment is.)