The Philippine National Police – Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) nabbed three men who allegedly offered candidates a “sure win” in the local elections in exchange for millions of pesos.
In Jun Veneracion’s Tuesday report on 24 Oras, the suspects were caught in an entrapment operation while they were offering a father and his son, who were local candidates, guaranteed wins in the 2025 elections in exchange for P90 million.
The suspects introduced themselves as information technology (IT) experts. They also said they have connections with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and that they can manipulate the poll results.
“Meron silang ‘opisina’ nakita. Meron silang mga props nakita natin pero ang capacity noon para i-hack ang servers ng Comelec. I don’t think they can do that,” said Police Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III, PNP-CIDG acting director.
(They have an ‘office’. We also found props but I don’t think they have any capacity to hack the Comelec servers.)
“Nagpakilala silang IT expert. Ang trabaho lang nila, yung isa driver, yung isa kasama sa nahuli, at yung isa nagpakilala na secretary. Mga scammer lang sila,” said Police Colonel Marlon Quimbo, chief of PNP-CIDG National Capital Region.
(They introduced themselves as IT experts but one of the suspects is a driver while the other said he was a secretary. They are just scammers.)
The Comelec denied any connection with the arrested suspects.
The poll body said people are offering guaranteed victories to election bets during this time.
Comelec advised poll candidates to use their funds instead for their campaigns, instead of patronizing scams.
The entrapment operation was conducted after Robert Turingan, who was running for mayor in Enrile, Cagayan, and his son reported the suspects to authorities.
The suspects first offered their services to the Turingans in 2019. They declined and subsequently lost in the elections.
In 2022, the suspects approached them once more. Turingan counter-offered with P5 million, asking the suspects to instead leave the election results in their town alone, but they still lost.
The suspects again approached Turingan and his son for the 2025 polls.
“Nakapagbigay ako ng P2 million pero bale wala yun. Nagtagumpay naman ako sa gusto ko. Panalo ako kasi nahuli ko lahat sila,” the elder Turingan said.
(I gave P2 million but it does not matter because I still won since they were arrested.)
Comelec said it did not find the candidates legally responsible for having transactions with the suspects.
“Naiintindihan ko po ang side ng kandidato (We understand the side of the candidates ) in as much as we don’t have a law penalizing them, hindi kasi yan gaya ng vote buying na direkta sa voter,” Commissioner Aimee Ferolino said.
Comelec said the scheme is not new.
“Budol ito. Sigurado doon isa matatalo, sigurado doon isa mananalo. Pag nanalo ang isa sasabihan ako dahilan bakit nanalo yan sasabihin sa kabila kita mo natalo ka hindi ka lumapit sa akin,” Comelec spokesperson Rex Laudiangco said.
(This is a scam. One will surely win while the other side will lose. Once a candidate wins, the scammer will tell his rival that he lost because he did not avail of his services.)
The suspects declined to give any comment.
The PNP-CIDG is still looking for five other members of the suspects’ group.
—Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News
