LINGAYEN – The police will investigate the report that public school teachers in Bugallon and possibly in other towns of Pangasinan were asked to participate in a supposed “dagdag-bawas” (vote-shaving) operations come May 14 elections.

A report received by the police stated that teachers were offered by a barangay captain from P50,000 to P100,000 each to undertake the vote-shaving operations for certain local candidates and threatened or intimated if they refuse.

No less than Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz and Governor Victor Agbayani exposed the alleged insidious attempt to undertake vote-shaving and ballot box switching operations to make certain local candidates win at all cost.

Cruz warned of possible upheaval in case the true will of the people as written by them in their ballots will not be reflected.

Police Provincial Director Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil assured that the police will investigate the matter and asked the teachers and other witnesses to provide more detailed information.

“On allegations that the teachers were being offered to undertake “dagdag-bawas” operations, we need some more testimonies from the teachers and other witnesses”, Bataoil said.

He added that the police will open their communication lines with the teachers “so that they can call us any time if there is such kind of situation”.

Bataoil confirmed that he already directed Police Provincial Director Senior Superintendent Isagani Nerez and the chiefs of police in all 48 towns and cities of Pangasinan to be on alert about the supposed attempt to undertake electoral fraud.

He said their lines must be open not only to the Department of Education but also to the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) and the Commission on Elections.

Should there be any call, Bataoil said, the police must be able to respond at any moment’s notice.

Both Archbishop Cruz and Governor Agbayani said they will not allow democracy to be just trampled upon by whoever may be behind the insidious operations.

Cruz said the attempt to undertake vote-shaving and or ballot box switching is quite alarming and must be thwarted at all cost by all right-thinking citizens.