THE prevalence of vote-buying and vote-selling in many towns and cities in Luzon and the Visayas (presumably there were cases in Mindanao, too) during these Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) is an indication that our electoral, law enforcement, and judicial systems are not working.
It also portends trouble for the next national elections in 2025, since the way votes are bought and sold these days is very much different and hard to catch, what with modern financial technology tools such as QR codes, e-wallets and digital cash transfers.
A day before the BSKE, incidents of vote-buying were reported in Tacloban City, Leyte, Samar, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Pandi in Bulacan, and Metro Manila.
‘All we need is strict implementation and dogged resolve to follow through until the culprits are arrested, prosecuted, and jailed.’
Media reports said cash ranging from P50 to P100 was changing hands from barangay candidates to voters in Tacloban City and the rest of the Eastern Visayas.
Provincial election supervisor Eliseo Labaria of Negros Oriental disclosed the vote-buying in the province came in the form of “ayuda” (cash assistance) worth as much as P2,000 per voter. The Comelec official said they are still conducting an investigation to properly identify the persons involved in the crime of vote-buying, based on photos submitted to them.
A total of 19 complaints of vote-buying are being processed by the Comelec provincial office in Negros Occidental.
In Pandi, Bulacan meanwhile, candidates who are buying votes have become more creative. Prospective vote sellers had been called to a meeting at the candidate’s warehouse, given health cards with a QR code and cash worth P1,000, with a promise of another P1,000 after the elections. The QR code will validate if the recipients really voted for the candidate-purchaser.
It is sad to note that there are candidates who detest buying votes, but had to go along anyway because they fear losing the elections to those who have no qualms in spending money to win.
Although it is almost impossible to stem the tide of vote-buying in every election, the Comelec launched its “Kontra Bigay” campaign to stop candidates and voters from treating votes as another commodity for sale.
The law defines vote-buying as the act of “any person who gives, offers or promises money or anything of value, gives or promises any office or employment, franchise or grant, public or private, or makes or offers to make an expenditure, directly or indirectly, or cause an expenditure to be made to any person, association, corporation, entity, or community in order to induce anyone or the public, in general, to vote for or against any candidate or withhold his vote in the election, or to vote for or against any aspirant for the nomination or choice of a candidate in a convention or similar selection process of a political party.”
Those who will be found guilty of this election offense shall be punished with imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than six years and shall not be subject to probation. Also, the violator shall be sentenced to suffer disqualification to hold public office and deprivation of the right of suffrage.
The penal provisions on election fraud in which vote-buying is just one of the manifestations are already stringent and should dissuade violators. All we need is strict implementation and dogged resolve to follow through until the culprits are arrested, prosecuted, and jailed.