By SHIELA MAE BUTLIG
Correspondent
and BEN BALCE
Associate Editor
POLICE and election officials are under mounting pressure to act following reports and viral footage alleging large-scale vote buying in the city just days before the May 12 elections.
The Police Regional Office-10 confirmed it is investigating social media posts related to alleged vote-buying activities, with Police Maj. Joann Navarro stating that a directive was issued by Regional Director Brig. Gen. Jaysen de Guzman to look into the matter.
“Naa tay na-monitor. I already sent that post ug mismo ang atong Regional Director, naghatag ug kamandoan to investigate ang maong posting,” Navarro said during a media safety workshop held on May 6, organized by the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS).
She said that the post under review includes images of cash bearing photos of political candidates from a specific party. Navarro also raised concerns about possible black propaganda and disinformation campaigns, emphasizing that all online information must be validated before drawing conclusions.
De Guzman has since ordered Cagayan de Oro City Police Director Col. Salvador Radam to lead the investigation. Navarro urged citizens with firsthand knowledge of vote-buying incidents to come forward and reminded the public not to engage in such practices.
“Kung kinsa man kana nga atoang makita nga mag-engage sa pagpamaligya ug pagpamalit sa boto, wala kitay palapson,” she said, assuring that the Philippine National Police remains non-partisan.
The investigation comes as a viral video posted by a certain Pol Geñoso on Facebook sparked public outrage, exposing what many residents believe is a massive vote-buying operation at Suan Arcade in Barangay Carmen.
The footage, which shows long lines of people receiving QR codes and cash, raised alarms about the fairness of the upcoming elections. Vehicles clogged nearby streets until 9 pm as crowds queued for what appeared to be campaign giveaways.
Despite visible queues and eyewitness reports, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and local police have not intervened or made any arrests related to the incident. Attempts to reach First District Rep. Lordan Suan, who is linked to the site of the alleged incident, were unsuccessful.
Geñoso also said she contacted District 1 Election Officer Atty. Joel Dexter Nagtalon for immediate action but has received little response.
Social media users quickly condemned the situation, with criticism directed at both authorities and candidates. Facebook user Robert Dela Cerna recalled how Suan once accused others of pandemic-era corruption, only to now allegedly resort to similar tactics.
“Lordan once called out Oca (Oscar Moreno) for ayuda-related corruption during the pandemic. But now he’s using the same tactic to win votes,” he wrote.
Witnesses told this paper that cash amounts ranging from P100 to P3,000 were openly distributed, with some transactions taking place as late as 2 am on Tuesday.
Many netizens expressed dismay over the normalization of vote-buying. A post by Mata na CDO read, “Pilipinas, asa pudyuton imong kaugmaon?!? Stop normalizing poverty as an excuse to assist only during the campaign period.”
The post added, “The community’s call is clear: they want genuine change, not just election-season handouts. The question remains — will authorities act before the polls?”
