Comelec? Who you?

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) should investigate the foreign observers who insisted on invading polling centers on election day, even after the poll body had barred the group that deployed over 200 watchers whose roles were vague from the start from entering these areas.

The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) deployed 226 observers, including 72 long-term observers, 104 short-term observers, and 20 members of the diplomatic community from EU member states. It was the first time the EU EOM deployed to the Philippines.

Under the Omnibus Election Code, only voters, electoral board members, the watchers of citizens’ arms and political parties, and Comelec support staff are allowed inside polling centers.

“No one else is allowed to enter the precincts. Even Comelec personnel cannot just enter,” said Comelec Chairperson George Garcia, adding that entering polling centers without permission from the Comelec constituted an election offense.

“Anyone who enters a precinct without authorization is committing an election offense,” Garcia said.

Photos taken by veteran Daily Tribune lenswoman Analy Labor at SM North Edsa’s mall voting center showed the observers had ignored the Comelec restriction and were all over the voting area. The stubborn observers merely ignored Garcia and went on with their intrusion into the 12 May exercise.

The Comelec should review the group’s presence since some of them will be posted here as permanent observers for reasons only the sanctimonious group knows.

AMLC steps into Que mystery

The probe that the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) is conducting into the laundering of the ransom paid in the kidnapping of businessman Anson Que has revealed a complex scheme involving cryptocurrency, casino junket operators, and international financial networks.

Anson Que, a Chinese-Filipino steel magnate, and his driver were kidnapped in late March in Valenzuela City. Despite Que’s family paying a ransom of approximately P200 million between 31 March and 8 April, Que and his driver were killed and their bodies were discovered on 9 April in Rodriguez, Rizal.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) traced the ransom to a sophisticated money laundering operation involving two casino junket operators — 9 Dynasty Group and White Horse Club — which funneled the funds into e-wallets and converted them to cryptocurrency.

The AMLC is collaborating with the PNP, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Securities and Exchange Commission and foreign probers. The investigation is targeting not only the kidnappers but also the junket operators, casino players and financial networks involved in obscuring the money trail.

Que’s family, including his son Alvin Que and brother-in-law, paid the ransom in multiple batches in Philippine pesos and US dollars.

The funds were deposited in e-wallet accounts linked to 9 Dynasty Group and White Horse Club, two casino junket operators. These e-wallets were intended exclusively for casino gaming, not for handling ransom payments or other illicit funds.