Administration congressional bet Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao was among the first batch of local candidates accused of alleged cheating even before actual counting began.
His reported political leader in Polomolok, South Cotabato, was charged by a public school teacher with attempted ballot switching and purported bribery, it was gathered yesterday.
The world boxing champ is running as congressman in the 1st District of South Cotabato against incumbent Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio, a member of the opposition.
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Edith Elias identified Pacquiao’s political leader as Luzviminda Trejeros or “Daday” of Purok Maunlad, Barangay Silway 8, Polomolok, who allegedly offered her P10,000 in agreeing to switch ballot boxes.
In a signed affidavit dated May 10, Elias, a resident of Hager compound, Purok Masigla, Barangay Silway, claimed that Trejeros went to see her at her mother’s house also in the same area where she is residing, requesting her supposedly to switch the ballot boxes assigned to her, to contain those purported to favor Pacquiao.
“I strongly refused her proposal/offer. She further told me that the first payment will be half the money when I accept the proposal/offer and the next payment will be given after the consummation of the proposal/offer.
“Trejeros insisted I take the offer and told me (in Visayan dialect) ‘Don’t worry, you won’t be involved in the anomaly, we’ll take care of it.’ Then she told me she will be back on Saturday (May 5) if ever I made my mind but she never showed up,” she said in her affidavit.
On May 7, Elias said she was informed by her sister-in-law that Trejeros was looking for her while she was having a pre-election conference.
Around 3 p.m. on May 10, they accidentally met near the school campus and Trejeros allegedly repeated the offer, Elias said.
“What’s your decision? Please help us,” she said quoting Trejeros in Visayan dialect, adding Pacquiao’s alleged political leader was persistent with her offer and vowed to come back last Saturday to follow up her proposal.
But Elias rejected the offer and instead filed charges of attempted corruption of public officials against Trejeros before the municipal trial court.
In making the formal charges, Elias said she decided to file a case “because it is against her conscience to commit any acts of dishonesty.”
“As a public school teacher, I strive to live a decent life despite my occasional financial constraints and I will never concede to the performance of a very serious offense especially one that relate to the performance of my official functions,” she said.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao is losing his congressional bout and is headed for a knockdown against Custodio.
Based on Pacland’s Web site blog, Pacquiao is trailing by a wide margin in the initial counting of ballots in almost all precincts of Bawing Elementary School, south of General Santos City.
“I just watched the initial counting of votes and I noticed in my visits to the precincts that Pacman usually gets only 2-3 votes while Darlene gets 7-8 out of 10 ballots. It’s the trend in almost all precincts,” a boxing fan reported.
Another fan said he called his cousins in Alabel, Saranggani, and informed him that Pacquiao is also losing in the area.
In a television report over GMA-7’s “24 Oras,” partial and unofficial results saw Custodio leading the poll, 208-123, against the boxing champ.
Angie M. Rosales
