Person caught in Aklan with sample ballots in envelopes with money under investigation

A person is now under investigation after being caught on Sunday with envelopes containing sample ballots and cash in Aklan, Commission on Elections spokesperson James Jimenez said on Monday.

Jimenez said in an interview with Vonne Aquino on Unang Balita that the person was caught with a bag with more than 10 envelopes, with each envelope containing P300 and sample ballots.

In a later press conference at the Comelec Command Center at the Palacio del Gobernador in Intramuros, Manila, Jimenez said the person was nabbed after they received a report from a concerned citizen who complained of vote buying operations in an area.

A local task force assembled by the involved barangay caught the person in the act of distributing the envelopes.

"(Nang) binantayan 'yung area, nakita nila 'yung tao namimigay ng pera. Nung nakita nung taong namimigay ng pera na maraming nakatingin sa kanya at maraming aware sa ginagawa niya, I think nag-panic 'yung tao, tried to get away," Jimenez said.

"Napigilan siya, at 'yung tao lost control of her bag. 'Yung bag, nung binuksan—may video (ang task force)—nung binuksan 'yung bag, puno ng pera," he continued.

The person was brought to the task force office for questioning and may be charged with an election offense.

"Hinihintay namin na ma-submit ang pangalan nung involved for election offense, but right now that's where it's at," Jimenez said.

This, he said, was an example of an "actionable information" that resulted in a direct action.

"Kung mapapansin ninyo, palaging ang report ay may balitang magkakabilihan ng boto, o may balitang ganito, ganyan. But always, medyo nasho-short tayo ng actionable information. Ito 'yung paraan para maging actionable information, para may magawa tayong konkreto," Jimenez said.

The 2018 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections were delayed twice—once in October 2016 and the second time in October 2017.

Complaints, reports, and questions can be sent through Comelec's social media accounts and hotline 8888. —Rie Takumi/KG, GMA News