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By Liezelle Soriano

THE Commission on Elections and Department of Justice stressed the importance of evidence in complaints regarding vote-buying.

The barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) will be held on October 30.

Comelec Commissioner George Garcia and Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla inked a partnership on the “Kontra-Bigay” program, which was initiated by the Comelec.

“Presumptions can work if the evidence is treated properly,” Remulla said.

“Yung presumptions naman yung nakalagay sa guidelines natin plus other evidence, hindi lang pwedeng mag-rely ang prosecution sa presumption, plus other evidence,” Garcia said.

Garcia then said that Comelec is expecting help from the DOJ to prosecute those who will be caught vote-buying.

“Yun po kasing investigation part pagsasama-samahin natin iyon pero iyong prosecution part medyo mas mahirap po iyan, talagang aasa kami sa tulong ng DOJ,” he said.

On the other hand, Remulla admitted that vote-buying through e-wallets would be challenging. (ai/mnm)

By: Junex Doronio

IT IS REALLY IRONIC, if not downright detestable, that in this third-world country that takes pride in being predominantly Catholic, vote-buying and vote-selling have become a norm, and running for an elective post has become an investment.

This persists despite the law that punishes vote-buyers and vote-sellers of six years imprisonment.

In addition, vote-buyers may no longer be allowed to run for public office while vote-sellers may no longer be allowed to vote.

Last September 8, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) officially launched its committee against vote buying and vote selling for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) and also opened its complaint center to curb such illegal activities.

The question is: Will this be effective?

What happened to the 1,226 reports of vote buying across the country during the 2022 elections?

Meron bang napakulong?

Although I don’t really admire Kris Aquino’s late dad Ninoy Aquino I think he was right when he was quoted as saying: “The people get the government they deserve.”

But can we really blame the Filipino people?

Because of financial difficulties and a seemingly hopeless situation, many of our kababayans have become some sort of mercenaries during elections.

Kapit sa patalim, as they say.

Even Comelec Chairman George Garcia wryly admitted in a recent press briefing that vote-buying is still rampant.

“Ang going rate raw kada boto ay ₱100 hanggang ₱2,000, mababa yata,” the top Comelec official noted.

“At tanggap ng marami na ang election daw ay paraan upang kumita,” he said.

On the other hand, some politicians, especially on the local level, treat elections as an investment opportunity.

A vice-mayor who is planning to run for mayor in 2025 in a fourth-class municipality said at least P10 million is needed to buy votes.

“Bawi rin naman pag nakaupo na,” the local trapo (traditional politician) quipped, referring to future projects that there are so-called SOPs, a euphemism for kickbacks.

To educate the politically naive, a kickback is a payment made to someone who has facilitated a transaction or appointment, especially illegally.

Like the proverbial Don Quixote fighting the windmills, the Comelec still clings to the faintest hope that vote-buying and vote-selling can still be deterred.

The Comelec said one can report incidents through exclusive communication channels, email, and social media, like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter).

Tingnan nga natin?

(ai/mnm)