‘Flying voters’ served warrants at poll precincts

MANILA, Philippines — At least four persons were prevented from casting their vote at a school in Pasay City yesterday after a local court ordered them and 414 others arrested for allegedly being flying voters.

Teachers serving as board of election inspectors in their respective poll precincts prevented the four persons from voting upon seeing their names on the voters’ list and arrest warrants, Eden Dioquino, principal of Padre Zamora Elementary School and Department of Education supervising official (DESO) told The STAR yesterday.

Dioquino refused to name these four alleged flying voters.

The 418 arrest warrants were issued to three clustered precincts of Barangay 97 by Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 129 Judge Ricardo Jimenez last Saturday.

These people violated Section 261, Paragraph y(2) of the Omnibus Election Code, saying “any person who knowingly makes any false or untruthful statement relative to any of the data or information required in the application for registration,” Dioquino said.

The case stemmed from a complaint by Yok Tin “Baby” So, sister of reelectionist Pasay Councilor Edith Manguerra, against her rival and incumbent Barangay 97 chairman Jose Serafico Ang.

So alleged that Ang gathered more than 1,400 residents of Caloocan and Manila North Cemetery to be registered as voters in Barangay 97.

Ang won against So in last year’s barangay elections.

The school received the order yesterday morning, but Dioquino said she was informed by the Commission on Elections about the warrants on Sunday night.

The teachers could not arrest the alleged flying voters because they do not have police powers, Dioquino said.