Authorities have apprehended six individuals accused of attempting to manipulate the results of the upcoming May 12 elections, according to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
NBI Director Jaime B. Santiago revealed on Friday that the suspects — identified as Roland B. Ucab, Teody A. Abalos, Joseph G. Ong, Cherrylyn U. Adriano, Ralp Edward D. Salas, and Francis James L. Mapua — were captured in an entrapment operation at a Quezon City hotel on May 8. The suspects were caught receiving marked money during the operation.
The operation was launched following a complaint filed by lawyer Genaro N. Montefalcon, a mayoral candidate in Iba, Zambales. Montefalcon claimed that the suspects approached him last month, offering to secure his victory in the elections by manipulating the results of the Automated Counting Machines (ACMs) for a fee of PHP 30 million.
NBI officials disclosed that one of the suspects, Teody A. Abalos, allegedly claimed to have a direct connection with the previous chairman of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), even asserting that he was the nephew of senator-candidate Benhur Abalos and a grandson of former COMELEC chairman Benjamin Abalos.
The suspects are now facing multiple charges, including estafa under Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), usurpation of authority under Article 177 of the RPC, and violations of Section 28 of Republic Act No. 9369, the Automated Election System Law.
Santiago emphasized that the NBI remains committed to ensuring the integrity of the electoral process and will continue to take action against individuals attempting to undermine the country’s democratic system.
