A candidate for mayor was arrested Sunday night (May 12) by anti vote-buying operatives in Quezon City, Metro Manila for allegedly obstructing while the police were conducting a raid in Barangay Bahay Toro.
Police operatives identified the mayoralty candidate as Vincent "Bingbong" Crisologo. They have also handcuffed Crisologo's son during the raid.
The police have received a tip from a respondible citizen that vote-buying operations were ongoing inside the barangay hall. But Crisologo in his video statement on Facebook said there was a training for election watchers that's why they were there when the raiding team swooped down in the area.
Congressman Bingbong Crisologo, inaresto ng QCPD matapos ang operasyon laban sa vote buying sa Brgy.Bahay Toro, QC. pic.twitter.com/6gMzDKnd7n
— jeff hernaez (@jeffreyhernaez) May 12, 2019
Crisologo claimed arresting police officers did not even wear their uniforms and did not also a present a search warrant which were violations on implementing such activity in the barangay.
Crisologo pointed to his political rival as behind the raid to discredit his candidacy.
Mga supporter ng inarestong si Congressman Bingbong Crisologo, nagtitipon-tipon na sa labas sa Kampo Karingal. pic.twitter.com/N34Omjfhik
— jeff hernaez (@jeffreyhernaez) May 12, 2019
"Basta pinosasan na lang kami. Dito mo makikita na pati pulis, nagagamit na ng mga kalaban namin sa politika," the mayoralty candidate said accusing politics as the main motive of the raid.
The police claimed they have arrested Crisologo for alleged obstruction of justice.
Meanwhile, Crisologo's supporters trooped to the police station and protested the arrest of the former representative.
In another election related news, 3 barangay officials in Makati City were also arrested by police authorities also because of alleged vote-buying activities. The police have caught-in-the act while leaders were segregating the money for their alleged vote-buying during elections on Monday.
The police have recovered P500 bills in the table and the list of voters. But the barangay treasurer denied there was vote-buying activities. She said they were only preparing the payments for poll watchers and other expenses that will be incurred during election day.
