CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) on Tuesday formally filed a vote-buying case against incumbent Mayor Vilma Caluag, her husband Melchor Caluag, and barangay council candidate Julmar Mercado in connection with the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
The case was filed by COMELEC 3 Assistant Director Atty. Elmo Duque at the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of the Third Judicial Region in San Fernando, stemmed allegedly from a violation of Section 261(a) of the Omnibus Election Code.
According to the complaint filed by Alvin Garcia, a resident of Barangay Dolores here, the alleged incident took place on October 17, 2023, around 7 PM. Garcia claimed that Mercado distributed P1,500 each to residents of Barangay Dolores inside the office of Mayor Caluag, as payouts under the city’s Sanitation Program. The money was allegedly given to sway voters in favor of Melchor Caluag and Julmar Mercado, who were running for Barangay Captain and Councilor, in the October 2023 polls.
The official filing was signed by Atty. Sittie Tawagon, Director IV of the COMELEC Law Department in Manila, who also certified that a preliminary investigation had been conducted. Bail for each accused was set at P36,000.
Duque clarified that if found guilty, the accused are not eligible for probation. The penalty includes imprisonment ranging from one to six years, loss of voting rights, and in Mayor Caluag’s case, a recommendation for perpetual disqualification from holding public office.
