MARAWI City ― More than 120 suspected ‘flying voters’ were apprehended and sent home by Army soldiers in Lanao del Sur yesterday, the eve of the May 9 elections.
At a checkpoint in Barangay Pawak, Saguiran, army soldiers turn away 20 vans after the passengers could not show any identification cards or voters ID.
Brig. Gen. Jose Cuerpo, chief of the Army 103rd Infantry Brigade, said many of the ‘flying voters’ were hired by local politicians to increase their chances of winning the elections today.
In Buadi-Puso town, soldiers found 80 suspected ‘flying voters’ hiding inside a Madrasah.
Cuerpo said Army soldiers and the police also arrested 50 persons with no identification cards and voter identification cards in Balindong town.
He said they were also sent home to Baloi town where they claimed to be residents.
“We begin to suspect these people when all of them claimed they were cooks. The numbers do not add up. There were too many cooks in one place,” Cuerpo said.
Lt. Col. Don Villanueva, commander of the Army 55th Infantry Battalion said his troops manning a checkpoint in Barangay Pawak, Saguiran town intercepted a total of 20 vans since Saturday.
“The vans were full of passengers who cannot show any identification cards or voters ID,” Villanueva said.