Negros Occidental Board Member Reynaldo Depasucat and defeated congressional bet yesterday expressed his outrage over what he claims massive vote buying, threats and intimidations during the May 14 election in E.B. Magalona town.

In his a privilege speech during their regular session, Depasucat, who is the chairperson of the SP Committee on Human Rights said the election in E.B. Magalona last week was governed by "gold, guns and goons".

He said 10 armed men made a house-to-house campaign in the evening of May 13, entered an hacienda in E.B. Magalona, discouraging his supporters and that of a mayor to vote for them, and at gunpoint distributed cash ranging from P200 to P500, to vote for a certain candidate.

Depasucat lost in the 3rd district congressional race against incumbent Rep. Jose Carlos Lacson. He got 46,891 votes against 86,695 of his opponent. "I concede defeat. I thanked the 46,891 who voted for me and believed for my cause that not a cent was spent by me for them in order to vote for me," Depasucat said.

Armed men also placed indelible ink on the fingers of residents of four farms in Barangay Tanza, E.B.Magalona, Negros Occidental, known to be bailiwicks of Mayor Alfonso Gamboa.

The armed men, some wearing ski masks, placed indelible ink on the fingers of residents of his farm and those owned by Bobby Sabino, Francis Jalandoni, and Boy Velez, Montinola said.

Depasucat claimed that some of those who received money from the "other side" confessed to him that they received amounts ranging from P100 to P1,000 that was shelled out per voter, to ensure the victory of a certain candidate.

He added the vote-buying had already been observed a month before the election. At the same time, Depasucat said he also noted that distribution of rice purchased with government funds flooded both rural and urban poor areas from those who are in power.

" Huge money flowed to buy votes during the eve of election, coupled with threats and intimidation," Depasucat said.

Gamboa who lost the mayoralty race to Vice-Mayor David Albert Lacson had earlier said that they suspect the Revolutionary Proletarian Army- Alex Boncayao Brigade, which was also vehemently denied by RPA national commander Carapali Lualhati.*GPB

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