‘Flying voter’ arrested in QC
MAY this serve as a warning to potential “flying voters” in the forthcoming May 2022 national and local elections.
Last Wednesday, agents of the National Capital Region Field Unit (NCRFU) of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) arrested a 50-year-old “flying voter” in Quezon City on the strength of a warrant issued by a local court in 2018.
The suspect was charged for committing an election fraud by having anomalously registered to vote, a report to PNP-CIDG director, Major General Albert Ignatius D. Ferro said.
According to CIDG-NCRFU director, Colonel Randy Glenn F. Silvio suspect Ruben Dagdag, a resident of No. 32 Tinigan Street in Bgy. San Jose, Q.C., was ordered arrested for violation of Section 2 of the Omnibus Election Code which refers to the so-called “flying voters.”
Silvio said members of the Q.C. District Field Unit led by Lieutenant Col. Michael Rae Tuscano arrested the suspect on the basis of a warrant issued by Judge Francisco Mendiola of the Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 115 on June 6, 2018.
There have been calls for stiffer penalties on “flying voters” or those who provide false information on an application for voter’s registration as well as on registering anew without cancelling a previous registration.
These persons are known in the past to have been able to register in multiple precincts where they are being used by rogue politicians to get more votes.
At present, Section 264 of the Omnibus Election Code penalizes violators of the election offense with one to six years of imprisonment, disqualification from voting in the future and a fine of up to P10,000.
