Comelec chief: Where's proof of vote-buying?

MANILA, Philippines - Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes, Jr. wants first to see evidence of vote-buying incidents in this year's barangay polls amid reports by election watchdogs and the media.

"Vote-buying is a very sensitive act, which means you need evidence to prove vote-buying. Hindi pwedeng kwento-kwento lang," Brillantes said at a televised press briefing on Tuesday afternoon.

Brillantes said part of the problem are media outfits, which reported the alleged vote-buying incidents on Monday's polls.

He said most of the sources of these "supposed news" are just actually losing candidates, who may have also conducted vote-buying.

"Ang aming analysis diyan is maraming vote-buying na sinasabi kasi yung mga natatalo, sinasabi nila na nag-vote-buying 'yung kalaban nilang nanalo," Brillantes said.

"Lahat ng naririning niyong vote-buying, sinasabi niyo na may vote-buying. But where is the evidence?" the poll chief told the media.

At a televised press briefing on Tuesday morning, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said there were seven reported incidents of vote-buying during Monday's barangay elections.

But the PNP clarified that these reports were still unverified and that offenders were difficult to catch because there were allegedly no complainants.

"It's really very difficult to control vote-buying," Brillantes also said.

Poll watchdog Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) said the 2013 barangay elections were reportedly marked by the commission of various election offenses nationwide such as vote-buying and selling. It cited field reports from its volunteers on alleged vote-buying and selling incidents  in Ilocos Sur, Palawan and in the Visayas.

Henrietta de Villa of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) also said that the barangay elections are no longer different from the national polls that is marred by offenses such as vote-buying.

"The violence has really escalated. Vote-buying, too, and sadly, even vote-selling," De Villa said in a phone-patch interview on ANC on Monday. "By baranggay na talaga. Nakakalungkot."