Investigation Launched on Alleged Vote-Buying Activities in Nabunturan Voters' Meeting
Scoop on the Suspicious Rice Distribution in Nabunturan
A local executive is under the scanner for suspected vote-buying, just days ahead of the May 12, 2025, National and Local Elections. The accused, also the incumbent barangay captain of Nabunturan, Davao de Oro, finds himself at the center of an ongoing probe following a raid that uncovered a truck loaded with thousands of rice sacks.
The controversy unfolded when concerned citizens reported a shady rice distribution from a white Howo trailer truck outside the candidate's residence in Purok 6, Barangay Manat, on May 6. Responding to the tip, the Nabunturan Municipal Police launched an investigation, seizing the truck after finding it loaded with rice.
As the police blocked off the scene, the people receiving the rice scattered. According to Police Major Catherine Dela Rey, the spokesperson of Police Regional Office Davao (PRO-Davao), the alleged distribution was allegedly facilitated by the barangay captain's secretary and members of the Barangay Police or Civilian Volunteer Organization (CVO).
Preliminarily, the rice distribution is estimated to have initially involved around 2,500 sacks of rice, with about 1,000 sacks already distributed before the police intervened. Witnesses have pointed towards the candidate's involvement, but these allegations are yet to be corroborated by concrete evidence.
The rice distribution may violate Comelec Resolution No. 11104, which prohibits the distribution of goods or financial aid during the campaign period for electoral advantage. This resolution aims to prevent vote buying, defined as giving or promising anything of value to influence a voter's decision. If proven, the candidate may face disqualification, criminal charges, and imprisonment under the Omnibus Election Code.
While there are two separate investigations in Nabunturan and nearby areas related to election issues, it remains uncertain whether these cases are directly connected. The other ongoing case involves illegal rice distribution in a different location, but it does not yet seem to be connected to the mayoral candidate or a violation of Comelec Resolution No. 11104.
Stay tuned for more updates as the investigation unfolds.
- The suspicious rice distribution incident in Nabunturan, Davao de Oro, is under investigation for allegedly being a vote-buying scheme by the incumbent barangay captain, days before the May 12, 2025, National and Local Elections.
- During the investigation, a white Howo trailer truck loaded with thousands of rice sacks was confiscated by the Nabunturan Municipal Police after receiving a tip.
- Allegedly, the rice distribution was facilitated by the barangay captain's secretary and members of the Barangay Police or Civilian Volunteer Organization (CVO).
- The rice distribution may violate Comelec Resolution No. 11104, which prohibits the distribution of goods or financial aid during the campaign period for electoral advantage, aiming to prevent vote-buying.
- If proven, the candidate may face disqualification, criminal charges, and imprisonment under the Omnibus Election Code, which defines vote-buying as giving or promising anything of value to influence a voter's decision in politics.
