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MANILA, Philippines – The city government of Taguig cried foul over the “peculiar deluge” of applicants for voter’s registration by people who were not residents of the city.
These people, according to Taguig City Vice Mayor George Elias, were enlisted soldiers based in Fort Bonifacio but were not residents.
Citing election rules, Elias said that these soldiers were domestic absentee voters who could vote only for candidates in the national level and not the local level. These soldiers should then not be allowed to register in Taguig, he added.
In a letter submitted to Commission on Elections Chairman Jose Melo, Elias said that last Saturday, 214 soldiers registered in the city to vote.
These soldiers indicated their respective barracks in Fort Bonifacio as their addresses in their registration forms, Elias said.
“This indicates that they are there because of their military occupation and tour of duty, and that they, therefore, do not have valid residences in Taguig,” he added.
The soldiers were reportedly given priority to register at the Taguig Comelec Office.
“There is a risk that these soldiers will go to their assigned precincts in civilian clothes and cast votes for the local elections in favor of the local candidate manipulating their registration in the city,” Elias said.
Elias has tagged a former military officer as responsible for the illegal voters’ registration.
“This former military officer is an alleged operator of a prospective mayoralty candidate,” he added.
With this, Elias called on the Comelec to immediately investigate the incident and act on the matter.
“We respectfully request the Commission to take appropriate action on the matter…including the relief of Comelec personnel who are involved in this illegal operation, with dispatch,” Elias said in his letter to Melo.
