MANILA — Quezon City congressional candidate Rose Nono Lin, who has been investigated by Senate over alleged misuse of pandemic response funds by Pharmally Pharmaceuticals, is facing a complaint for alleged vote buying.

The said complaint, which seeks to disqualify Lin, has been filed before the head office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Manila. It was filed by a certain Timoteo Salaguste.

Salaguste alleged in his complaint that Lin, corporate treasurer of Pharmally Biological, undertook a concerted and coordinated scheme to buy thousands of votes from residents in Novaliches, even before she filed her certificate of candidacy (COC).

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“Even now, the vote-buying scheme continues in one of the many headquarters, houses, and online,” Salaguste said, describing the alleged vote-buying scheme as “brazen” and “disgusting.”

“Their vote-buying operations have become obvious for probably all Novaleños, so much so that the name ‘Rose Lin’ has become synonymous with a P500 bill inside a small cash envelope,” he added.

Salaguste also alleged that barangay councilors allied with Lin gave “stubs” or “tickets” to voters, including himself.

Voters were allegedly told to proceed to “payout” at the date, time, and venue indicated in the stubs or tickets.

Salaguste also claimed that from March 2022 onwards, and after the filing of several cases, Lin changed her strategy and focused on conducting house-based vote buying operations at the houses of her coordinators.

Lin herself allegedly admitted to buying votes in an April 2, 2022 campaign rally in Barangay Kaligayahan, Salaguste claimed.

“Rampant na talaga yung ginagawang vote buying,” Salaguste said in an ambush interview.

He recalled that he too received an offer but there was no exact amount. He said, initially, the offer was around P5,000 for his vote and support.

The complaint is a petition filed under Section 68 of the Omnibus Election Code, which refers to vote buying.

“Any candidate who, in an action or protest in which he is a party is declared by final decision of a competent court guilty of, or found by the Commission of having given money or other material consideration to influence, induce or corrupt the voters or public officials performing electoral functions,” the provision states.

Lin is one of the 5 candidates for congressional representative of QC District 5.

She filed her candidacy under former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s Lakas-CMD but is no longer with the party.

Lin's camp has yet to issue a statement regarding the vote-buying allegations, as of posting.

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