QC candidates accused of vote buying

THE head of the Quezon City Against Corruption (QCAC) on Tuesday filed charges before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) against a candidate running for Congress and two others running for councilor for alleged vote buying and vote selling. QCAC founder and chairman Janno Orate accused Jesus Suntay, who is running for congressman in the city's fourth district; and nephew, Miguel Suntay; and Emmanuel Del Mundo, both running for councilors in the same district of violating the Omnibus Election Code. In a press conference, Orate said he filed the complaints against the three after a credible witness approached him and told him about a networking scheme called Ako@Walo in which supporters had to recruit four household leaders and eight people under them, who would also recruit eight other people under them in a pyramid style, to vote the respondents. "In exchange for being recruited, each leader and the eight people under them would be given P1,000 and they were also promised benefits such as 'ayuda' (assistance) if the respondents win," Orate told reporters. After attending an orientation, the witness said he saw the respondents at the Ako@Walo event inside the Bahay Serbisyo campaign headquarters on Panay Avenue, Barangay Paligsahan, Quezon City. Orate said the networking scheme by the respondents constitutes vote buying. The complainants were confident that the poll body would act on their complaints with dispatch saying they have a credible witness who could pin the respondents down. At the same time, they asked the Comelec to grant their witness a "transactional immunity" to protect him from any harassment. The Manila Times tried to reach Suntay, but he has remained silent on Orate's complaint.