ILOCOS NORTE, Philippines – There is “super rampant vote-buying” in Laoag City, home turf of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., according to councilors on the opposing side of the First Family’s handpicked candidates.
“We know what is going on in Laoag City, it was slightly better before when vote buying was done secretly, there’s small dignity. But now, they are lining up, and we can see it, but we can’t do anything, it’s like our law enforcement is inutile, our government officials are inutile,” Laoag City councilor Jason Bader Perera said in a mix of English and Ilocano in a privilege speech at the city council session on Tuesday, May 6.
“Comelec [Commission on Elections] has show cause orders and everything, but here in Ilocos Norte, I have not seen a single one despite the super rampant vote buying here in Ilocos Norte,” added councilor Roger John “RJ” Fariñas II, also in a mix of English and Ilocano.
Sought for comment, Comelec chairperson George Garcia told Rappler: “Because wala naman kami natatanggap kahit picture o video man lang ng alleged vote buying.” (Because we have not received picture or video of the alleged vote buying.)
Perera and RJ Fariñas are running for city council and provincial board, respectively, on the Team Fariñas slate. Team Fariñas is led by reelectionist Vice Mayor Carlos Fariñas, son of former governor Rudy Fariñas. The slate has no mayor, although Carlos said that he and reelectionist mayor Michael Marcos Keon are on good terms.
Keon is the estranged cousin of the President, and running independently. His nephews — sons of the President and reelectionist Senator Imee Marcos who are congressman and governor, respectively — have thrown their full support behind Keon’s opponent.
No less than the President himself endorsed Keon’s opponents led by councilor Bryan Alcid who is running for mayor, and councilor Handy Lao for vice mayor. They are under Team Marcos.
Alcid told Rappler after the city council session that, “anyone can accuse, ganyan naman talaga, alam naman natin ang fake news ngayon….Ang daming accusations eh, both parties, hindi lang sa amin or hindi lang sa kanila, ganyan talaga.” (Anyone can accuse, it’s really like that, we know how fake news is these days…There’s so many accusations, both parties, not just us, or them, it’s really like that.)
RJ Fariñas said amounts being given range from P2,500 to P5,000 to P7,000.
Lining up in public
From May 5 to May 6, Rappler was tipped off on venues of supposed payouts in the city. We saw lines in two instances, but were not able to independently verify what was being given.
Around 5 pm on Monday, May 5, we saw people lining up at a covered court in Barangay 1, with a campaign vehicle bearing the poster of Solid North party list. We saw at least two participants holding white envelopes while leaving. We could not verify what was inside.
Around 6:30 am on Tuesday, May 6, we saw people lining up outside a house in Barangay 23. There were posters of Team Marcos, including Alcid’s, nearby. We weren’t able to verify what was being distributed.
“Hindi naman ibig sabihin kung may poster ako sa mga pilahan ay may nangyayaring kababalaghan. ‘Yun ang masakit. Kasi every time na lang na may mga kababalaghan dito, ina-accuse sa amin. Pero lahat naman ng magaganda, nasa kanila, lahat ng masasama, nasa amin. ‘Yun ang masakit na part,” said Alcid.
(It doesn’t mean that if I have a poster along queues, there is something wrong going on. That’s what hurts. Because every time something wrong is happening here, we are being accused. They take all the good things, and throw us all the bad things. That’s what hurts.)
Rappler was tipped off to another venue, but it was leading to a private construction property not along the highway. We could not proceed inside, but saw people going in and out. Asked about what he thought of these queues, Alcid said: “I do not know, wala pa naman akong nakita today kasi nandito lang naman ako, at sa office kanina. Puwede naman nilang tingnan kung ano mga ‘yun. Baka naman payroll.” (I do not know, I have not seen any today because I’ve just been here, and earlier, in the office. They can check what those are. Maybe it’s a payroll queue.)
Residents who spoke to us on condition of anonymity said they cannot just inspect the venues themselves because they are not part of the list. They’re also scared to be exposed.
Two people who allegedly previously received something said they were informed beforehand, either through coordinators or a house visit, that they were part of the list. They needed to present proof of identification, they said, to verify their names. They were either given campaign materials with amounts worth P2,500 (it can start low, they said, and will be continued in waves) or were told the names of the candidates they should vote for.
Alcid said this is all hearsay.
“Alam mo naman ang tao, magaling minsan gumawa ng kuwento to provoke. Kaya hindi kami naniniwala agad sa mga ganyan. Mahirap kasi kapag lahat ng basis mo ng irereport mo sa sanggunian is puro hearsay, legislative kami, hindi kami tsismoso,” said Alcid.
(You know people, they are good at inventing stories to provoke. So we don’t believe in things like those. It’s hard if the basis of your report to the council is hearsay, we are legislators, not rumor-mongerers.)
Asked if Team Marcos has also received reports of vote buying by their opponents, Alcid said: “Maraming ganun. Siyempre, normal ‘yan. Quiet lang kami. ‘Pag magaling ka in terms of legislation, don’t listen to hearsay.” (There are a lot of those things. Of course, that’s normal. But we’re just quiet. If you are good in terms of legislation, don’t listen to hearsay.)
Under Comelec’s Resolution No. 11104 passed in January 2025, “long lines or queues of registered voters / persons for the distribution of money, discount, insurance or health cards, grocery items and such other goods, intended to be used to induce the persons to vote for or against any candidate” is presumed vote buying.
Role of police
Carlos Fariñas told Rappler that he received reports that there is police presence during alleged payouts.
“May mga reports tayo na mga coordinators natin na sir nandun sila sa isang area, ‘yung mga pulis nandun na nakatambay, parang it’s open to them, accepted ‘yung system, ‘yung ganung paraan ng pamimili ng boto, which is very alarming na dito ang Presidente natin, na ganun ang ginagawa,” Carlos Fariñas said.
(We have reports from our coordinators that it happens in an area where police are on standby, like it’s open to them, that the system is accepted, that the manner of vote-buying is accepted, which is very alarming because the President is from here, and that’s what’s happening.)
Keon has complained of police presence when he’s campaigning. Carlos said police personnel have also followed him in some of his house-to-house campaigns.
Keon said his police detail as mayor had been removed beforehand. “And so, because of that, the police now [are watching me] saying that, oh, we’re here to secure you. It begs the question. They’ve done that because maybe they are in a way securing me, but also they’re also watching me where I’m going and reporting my movements back to the 1st District and the kapitolyo (capitol). And I never dealt with this before,” Keon told Rappler.
The 1st District Representative of Ilocos Norte is presidential son Sandro Marcos, and the incumbent governor is Matthew Marcos Manotoc, son of Imee Marcos. This is the second midterm elections, the first being in 2022, that the Marcos family has backed up Keon’s opponents.
“Depende on how you feel and how you accept ‘yung mga police visibility. Kasi kung kami rin, meron din kami mga police na assistance sa amin, day-to-day basis, am, pm. So depende kung may ginagawa kang mali, takot ka sa pulis,” said Alcid.
(It depends on how you feel and how you accept police visibility. Because we also have police assistance on a day to day basis, in the morning and in the afternoon. So it depends if you’re doing something wrong, then you fear the police.) – Rappler.com