by Ben Serrano

      November 3, 2010

            Sta. Josefa, AGUSAN DEL SUR - Former Agusan del Sur Provincial Board Member and National Liga of Barangay Captains of the Philippines Vice President Rey Quijada asked President Aquino today to grant automatic clemency of voters who will tell all the public that he or she was bought or she received vote-buying money.

            Quijada who have been Barangay Captain for Barangay Poblacion here for 15 years told this writer in an exclusive interview  that without automatic clemency offered to would be witnesses in the criminal offense like vote-buying or vote selling, the law declaring vote buying as criminal offense as provided by theOmnibus Election Code would like just be an ornament in Philippine books of election laws.

            “We might as well erase it because since these laws against vote-buying and vote-selling were enacted, no one has ever been prosecuted or jailed so far and the COMELEC who is constitutionally mandated to implement these laws seemed to be helpless, inutile”, Quijada said.

            Quijada said under his proposal which he included in his letters sent yesterday to President Aquino and COMELEC chairman Jose Melo and COMELEC commissioners, “voters who will manifest in public that he or she was bought will be automatically given executive clemency”.

            “On the other hand, politicians who will complained they have been coerced by voters to shell out money during election day will also be given protection program by the government, in that way, both giver and receiver, will have a day in court” Quijada said.

            Quijada said that corruption in Philippine Governance system started day one on election day.

            “The moment politicians will shell out money P500, P100 or P1,000 to voters o spend more than what is required by law that politician will surely steal government funds through kickbacks in government projects or peddle influence by flexing his powerful political muscles over government agencies” Quijada said.

            Quijada also said that government officials in national and local government offices if found guilty in conniving corruption with corrupt politicians must also be jailed in maximum possible penalty.

            “Stealing government funds deprived people especially the poor of everything from lack of food, health and education services and other government services thus it is greatest crime against humanity”, Quijada added.

            “I used to be a candidate myself but I have vowed to my family that I will no longer be a candidate for the rest of my life. However as a member now of the sovereign people who our beloved President acknowledged in his inagaural speech as his boss thru his famous words - Kayo ang Boss ko-, I will use all my talents and whatever I have and know to help put order and sanity to our electoral process that’s why I am writing this letter request to you Mr. President urging clemency to voters who will tell al the public about vote-buying and selling” Quijada in his letter said.

          He said he was challenged to activate and organize movement  for sanity in Philippine Governance after reading a news article about alleged rampant vote buying and vote selling that dominates Caraga politics for decades now

He admitted there is truth in the news report saying in his barangay alone during October 25 Barangay and SK polls such malpractices were rampant.