Cavite gubernatorial candidates Juanito Victor Remulla and Erineo Maliksi were criticized on social media Monday for walking straight into their voting precincts in Imus town, past the queues of locals who had waited since dawn to cast their votes in the midterm polls.
ABS-CBN reporter Chiara Zambrano said on Twitter that Remulla “walked straight in, past voters who were in line since 6 a.m.”
“He tells the people it’s because the media needed to take footage of him voting. We said we could wait. He proceeded anyway,” Zambrano tweeted.
As for Maliksi, the reporter tweeted: “He didn’t line up either. Arrived, walked straight to his precinct and took his seat.”
Another Zambrano tweet said Maliksi’s camp said the reason he did not queue up “was because he is a senior citizen,” and at press time was still waiting for an expanded explanation.
Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections in Davao del Norte said Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr. violated several prohibitions of the poll body while he was inside a voting precinct in Panabo City.
Floirendo, seeking reelection under Sara Duterte’s regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago, showed off his ballot and voter’s receipt to prove that he chose candidates under the ticket.
Under Comelec Resolution 10460 Sec. 64, it would be unlawful to show the content of the ballot.
Initially, Remulla and other voters had to wait as the Vote Counting Machine in their precinct broke down.
Remulla, Zambrano reported, said he’d been waiting outside, arrived before 7, and left when he saw the VCM broken.
“Returned approx 7:45, waited till 8:15 for VCM to be replaced, then cast his ballot. Did he wait? Yes, 30 mins seated at the covered court. Did he queue? (sic) No,” the reporter tweeted.
Twitter user Gina A. Policarpio said: “He puts himself first before his constituents. Shows how he will govern.”
Remulla of the Nacionalista Party cast his vote at Barangay Toclong 2-B in Imus, while Maliksi of the Liberal Party voted at BarangayAnabu 2-D.
