Alleged flying voters in Santiago City, Isabela sued

BAGUIO CITY (February 26, 2025) --Five alleged “flying voters” in Santiago City, Isabela province in the Cagayan Valley region (Region 2) were sued for perjury, falsification and use of falsified documents before the Santiago City prosecutor’s office Wednesday morning.

Santiago City resident Victoria C. Miranda claimed Michael M. Campos, Florida P. Velasco, Orland T. Timbuloy, Yolanda M. Campos and Rowel G. Tintero, faked certifications they are Santiago City residents and managed to register as voters in that city but actually are residents of barangay Bannawag Sur, Diffun town in neaby Quirino Province, also in Cagayan Valley region.

In her complaint, also lodged before the Santiago City offices of the Commission on Elections, Miranda attached certifications of the barangay chairman of Banawag Sur, Diffun and other residents that they personally know the five and are indeed their villagemates.

‘We suspect there are at least 10,000 more “flying voters” here now,’ Santiago City mayoralty bet Joseph Miranda bewailed as he condemned the scheme that destroy the sanctity and integrity of the upcoming May elections. Whatever is the result of the May elections, Miranda G. Miranda vowed in Filipino, ‘we will continue on suing these flying voters and teach people hard lessons.’

Miranda also petitioned via a letter Wednesday, February 26, 2025, Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia, Floredeliza C. Gecobe who chairs the Election Registration Board of Santiago City, Region 2 Regional Election Supervisor lawyer Ederlito Tabita, Isabela Provincial Election Supervisor lawyer Manuel J. Castillo Jr. and Santiago City Election Officer Jenny May G. Gutierrez to seriously look into the reports of flying voters.

Miranda claimed that an anonymous letter reached him “about a systematic plan to register flying voters in Santiago City by the hundreds, if not, by the thousands coming from adjoining municipalities and other provinces. He detailed that “flying voters” coming from least four barangays in Cordon, Isabela; a barangay in Jones, also in Isabela; 7 barangays in Echague, Isabela; two in San Isidro, Isabela; 5 barangays in Ramon, Isabela; 4 barangays in Diffun, Quirino Province, from Diadi town in Nueva Vizcaya and as far as Paracelis and Natonin towns in Mt. Province and Tabuk City in Kalinga.

Miranda further claimed a good number of these alleged “flying voters” came from Paracelis town in Mt. Province who successfully registered as voters using falsified documents a few days before the deadline of voters registration. 

He said he attached in his letter to the Comelec officials a list sent him by a tipster bearing 83 names of alleged “flying voters” from different barangays in Paracelis, Mt. Province who registered in Santiago City.

“We want a fair election in Santiago City. Hindi ko finile tong kaso for my own sake, kundi for the sake of the people of Santiago. Very clear yun,” Miranda said, as he vowed, they will sue more whom they have evidences

Miranda’s lawyer, Jose Adrian Bonifacio admitted that although they can no longer petition Comelec to exclude the flying voters from the voters list, “it is about time na may gawing mas matibay na action para turuan ng leksyon ang mga flying voters.” Getting a firm commitment from (my client) whatever the result of the election will be, the lawyer stressed, ‘we will continue this (battle)’. “Para sa kinabukasan po ito ng mamamayan ng Santiago City”