CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - Ending vote-buying depends on one's personal conviction as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it cannot catch violators all the time. During Friday's livestream of "Let's talk MisOcc (Misamis Occidental)" organized by the Philippine Information Agency, Comelec-Region 10 officer, lawyer Gina Zayas-Sabio said it is up to the voters themselves to not accept bribe money. "At the end of the day, it can only be prevented and stopped when those who buy and those who will vote will stop receiving or entertaining the seller because it is a personal conviction and an individual decision," she said. She also urged complainants to provide documents and other evidence but reminded not all are legitimate and actionable. "We will only take action if the violation is against the right of a candidate or one of the supporters, or the people as a whole," she said. Misamis Occidental has 484,832 voters, 801 clustered precincts with vo
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - Ending vote-buying depends on one's personal conviction as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it cannot catch violators all the time. During Friday's livestream of "Let's talk MisOcc (Misamis Occidental)" organized by the Philippine Information Agency, Comelec-Region 10 officer, lawyer Gina Zayas-Sabio said it is up to the voters themselves to not accept bribe money. "At the end of the day, it can only be prevented and stopped when those who buy and those who will vote will stop receiving or entertaining the seller because it is a personal conviction and an individual decision," she said. She also urged complainants to provide documents and other evidence but reminded not all are legitimate and actionable. "We will only take action if the violation is against the right of a candidate or one of the supporters, or the people as a whole," she said. Misamis Occidental has 484,832 voters, 801 clustered precincts with vo
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - The Police Regional Office in Northern Mindanao (PRO-10) on Friday announced its implementation of a gun ban as well as the identification of "hotspots" ahead of the national elections in May. In an interview Friday, PRO-10 spokesperson, PLt. Col. Michelle Olaivar, said the gun ban will be implemented on January 9 based on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution Numbers 10741 and 10728. "(Also included in the) violation of gun ban are bearing of (other) deadly weapons, which can be considered an election offense," she said. Under Comelec Res. 10728, the penalty for such a violation is imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than six years. Another possible offense, Olaivar said, can be based on Republic Act 10591, or the "The Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act." As to the hotspots, Olaivar said there were already places in the region identified but still subject to validation by the police and th