EXCUSE ME, MAM, EXCUSE ME; WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?

During the signing of the Covenant on Peaceful, Honest and Orderly Elections in the Midsayap Municipal Gymnasium yesterday, the incumbent Governor Emmylou Talino-Mendoza pledged that she will not resort to vote buying by giving out money, rice and other items to the electorates of North Cotabato.

The irony was at about the same time she was saying that on stage and in front of the officials of the Commission on Elections and members of the different organizations involved in the conduct of the 2013 elections, her minions in Kidapawan City were photographed while giving out food stuffs and medicines right in front of the Comelec office in Kidapawan City.

My niece, law student Bernice Pinol posted the photos in her facebook.com page and I decided to download one so I could share this photo with other facebook.com followers as well. (For more photos, please go to Bernice Pinol’s facebook.com page.)

This is a clear proof of vote buying.

While the election campaign period may not have started yet at the time they distributed the goods which were inside green plastic bags with the markings “Serbisyong Totoo” there is no justification for the distribution of these items and no other reason except influencing the decision of the voters.

What would justify the giving out of rice and medicines? Has a state of calamity been declared in the Province of North Cotabato to justify this activity?

I know and I expected that rice, money and other foodstuffs will be flooding the communities this coming election but I did not expect these people to be as brazen as this.

This matter will immediately be referred to our lawyers and submitted to the Commission on Elections for proper action.

The Great Battle to defend and protect the sovereign will of the people to elect their leaders without undue influence has already started.

Let’s get ready to rumble!