AUTHORITIES on Sunday reported the confiscation of suspected fake bills in an abandoned car in Roxas City, Capiz worth P699.000 amid the money ban due to the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
In a report on Sunday, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said the Roxas City Police responded to a tip about an abandoned vehicle in Teodoro Arcenas Trade Center (TATC) on Saturday.
Led by Roxas City Police chief PLtCol Franciso Paguia, law enforcers conducted a virtual search and found bundles of ₱1,000 bills suspected to be counterfeit before members of media, local officials, and TATC’s head of security. Authorities also confiscated genuine bills amounting to ₱4,170.
The alleged fake bills will be sent to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for verification, while the vehicle is placed at the city police station for safekeeping and proper disposition.
While the confiscation occurred two days before the Oct. 30 BSKE, the Comelec explained that the initial investigation shows the alleged counterfeit bills may not be covered by Comelec’s Kontra-Bigay campaign, an initiative to strengthen the implementation of policies against vote buying and selling, as there were no campaign materials found.
According to the Omnibus Election Code, vote buying involves giving money or anything of value, promising any office or employment, and other offers to make anyone to vote for or against any candidate or withhold his vote.
The Comelec has implemented a money ban prohibiting anyone from carrying cash that is ₱500,000 as well as online transactions to 20 people or more.
