Comelec investigates Barangay Carmen chair over voter registration fraud

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is investigating the chairperson of Barangay Carmen in Cagayan de Oro City over suspicious fraudulent activities during voter registration.

In Barangay Carmen, the number of registered voters surged from 32,218 in October 2023 to 56,837 in November 2024, a 44.41% increase with 37.60% attributed to disputed barangay certificates.

The Comelec en banc adopted recommendations from its Election and Barangay Affairs Department and the Special Task Force for the 2025 midterm elections, referring the matter to the Law Department for potential disqualification of the barangay captain who is running for Congress.

Out of 21,854 applications received during voter registration, 8,218 (37.60 percent) used barangay certifications as valid identification, with 1,161 applicants from Barangay Carmen being disapproved by the Election Registration Board (ERB).

Lawmakers like Cagayan de Oro Representative Lordan Suan have raised concerns over similar anomalies reported in other areas such as Batangas, Makati, and Nueva Ecija.