ASIDE from declaring vote buying and selling as a heinous crime, the head of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is also looking to have its definition updated and redefined to be more attuned with modern times.
In a statement, acting Elections spokesman John Rex Laudiangco said Chairman George Garcia wants vote buying and selling to include online and virtual transactions.
“Chairman Garcia took the opportunity to equally recommend a further revisit of the law, particularly Section 261 (a) of the Omnibus Election Code,” said Laudiangco.
“This specific recommendation is made insofar as the updating of the definition of vote-buying and vote-selling, to be more attuned to current times and situations,” he said.
Laudiangco said the said methods include vote-buying/selling via online or over-the-air fund-transfers, internet cash transmittals, and other analogous modalities.
He said this is because having the more modern vote-buying/selling methods included will help ensure that the updated law will be more effective deterrents to the crime.
