The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is currently investigating three individuals arrested in Sta. Cruz, Laguna for allegedly impersonating employees of the poll body.
The suspects, who turned out to be members of the same family, were caught using fake documents and even had vehicles bearing the official logo of COMELEC.
According to COMELEC Chairman George Erwin Garcia, the suspects claimed to be members of the task force “Kontra-Bigay” and said they were inspecting a school in Laguna where Automated Counting Machines (ACMs) were stored.
However, Chairman Garcia clarified that “Kontra-Bigay” is no longer a task force but now functions as a committee, and that the individuals involved are not employees of COMELEC. He stressed that this incident is a serious concern, as it could be used to manipulate voters and candidates alike.
Garcia also reminded the public that any personnel deployed by the COMELEC Main Office will always coordinate first with the local COMELEC offices. In this case, local officials were unaware of the suspects’ presence or activities.
The three suspects are expected to face charges of usurpation of authority and falsification of public documents.
