War declared vs vote-buying

MANILA, Philippines — Amid reports of “rampant” vote-buying, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday activated the multisectoral Kontra Bigay task force to prosecute those buying and selling votes.

At a press conference, Comelec Chairman Sheriff Abas noted that they have been receiving numerous reports of vote-buying in the past weeks.

“Based on the report, Caraga or Region 13 is one of the most expensive. Vote-buying is reportedly rampant,” Abas said in English and Filipino, adding that Kontra Bigay will focus on the northeastern Mindanao region.

Local Government Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said they have come up with a standard complaint form for the filing of criminal charges against suspected vote buyers.

“Vote-buying has become such a big problem to the extent that we need to take pro-active measures to control it,” Malaya said.

“This will be a legal battle unlike before. We will not just be receiving reports. If you are serious in prosecuting those involved in vote-buying, you will fill out the complaint form,” Malaya added.

He said vote-buying has worsened because politicians find it difficult to rig election results with the use of vote counting machines (VCMs).

Malaya said vote-buying and vote-selling are criminal offenses. Those who will be found guilty face imprisonment, lose their right to suffrage and are disqualified from holding public office.

There are 10 pending cases of vote-buying before the Comelec, its legal department records show.

Comelec defines vote-buying as the act of any person who gives, offers or promises money or anything of value, directly or indirectly, in order to induce anyone or the public to vote for or against any candidate.

Vote-selling, on the other hand, is the act of a person, association, corporation, group or community, who solicits or receives, directly or indirectly, in exchange of voting for or against any candidate.

Commissioner Al Parreño said the Comelec will implement the campaign with the Philippine National Police, Department of the Interior and Local Government, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Integrated Bar of the Philippines.

NBI regional operations service chief of staff Yehlen Agus said all their agents will be mobilized to participate in the Kontra Bigay task force.

Tax exemption

In response to the call of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has ordered that lowest paid teachers are exempt from honoraria tax for their poll duties.

Pursuant to BIR Ruling No. 759-18 issued on May 8 last year, the bureau said honoraria and allowances of teachers who are members of electoral boards will remain untaxed as long as their annual taxable income – which includes such honoraria and allowances – does not exceed P250,000.

“Conversely, if the annual taxable income, which includes the honoraria and allowances of teachers who will serve in the Electoral Boards, exceed P250,000 such honoraria and allowances shall be subject to income tax and consequently to the withholding tax on compensation,” the BIR said.

The BIR is requiring teachers and other qualified persons serving in electoral boards to execute and submit to the Comelec prior to the release of poll allowances, a sworn declaration stating that their gross annual income does not exceed P250,000.

The BIR said copies of the ruling have been submitted to the Comelec as well as ACT.

Last Monday, members of ACT marched to the BIR head office in Quezon City to protest the unwarranted collection of tax from teachers.

ACT spokesman Ruby Bernardo said the BIR had failed to act on their petition to exempt the tax on election service honoraria, which was submitted in May last year.

Under the Election Service Reform Act, an honorarium amounting to P6,000 will be given to chairpersons of electoral boards; P5,000 for members of electoral boards; P4,000 for Department of Education (DepEd) supervisor officials; and P2,000 for support staff.

Those who will render election services will also receive an additional P1,000 as travel allowance.

Other benefits include a minimum of five days service credit, legal indemnification package worth P50,000, medical assistance of up to P200,000 and election-related death benefit amounting to P500,000.

GSIS loans

The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has announced that it will limit the loan privileges of government officials and employees whose term of office will end in June.

“As the nationwide election comes closer, GSIS is also implementing measures to put in check the membership records and loan accounts of concerned members. Over 30,000 confidential, coterminous, appointed and elective employees whose term of office expire in June will not be qualified to avail of GSIS loans,” GSIS president and general manager Jesus Clint Aranas said.

But Aranas assured the public that the GSIS will immediately restore loan privileges for government officials and employees who will be reappointed or reelected, once their agency heads update the pension fund on the status of their employment.

“Prompt notice from concerned agency authorized officers is crucial to ensure the correct tagging of members’ records in the GSIS database,” he said.

Operation and monitoring

The DepEd has formed an election task force that will provide support to teaching and non-teaching personnel who will serve in the May 13 midterm elections.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones said an operation and monitoring center will be activated at the DepEd Central Office in Pasig City from May 12 to 14 to ensure that teachers are provided with adequate information and technical and legal assistance during the elections.

Briones added that the operation and monitoring center will also serve as DepEd’s institutional link to volunteer organizations, individuals and other agencies involved in the conduct of the elections.

“All DepEd officials and personnel, being in the civil service, are reminded not to intervene directly or indirectly in any election campaign or engage in any partisan political activity, except to vote,” she added.

Briones also said all regional and division offices are authorized to create their own election task force operation and monitoring center to be activated during the same schedule.

As this developed, poll watchdog Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) and the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) have set up hotline numbers and social media pages where teachers and the public can report election-related concerns.

The LENTE office in Quezon City and the TDC office in Valenzuela will serve as command posts and monitoring centers from May 12 to 14.

“The command post will closely coordinate with government and private agencies, specifically the DepEd, Comelec, law enforcement units, election watchdogs and the media,” the group said.

“Teachers who will not sit as members of election boards and some lawyers from LENTE will man the offices and are tasked to monitor and document the field situation and provide any possible assistance from organizations and concerned agencies,” they added.

The TDC hotline numbers are (02) 692 0296, 0916 6126739 and 0942 1883814, while LENTE hotline numbers are (02) 502 1591, 0917 1066265 and 0947 1644158.

Complaints such as harassment, cheating, intimidation, emergency situation or any election-related concern may also be reported to the TDC and Lente Philippines Facebook pages.

All systems go

Five days before the midterm polls, religious and civic organizations yesterday trooped to the Comelec to demand concrete action against alleged electoral fraud and political repression.

“The opposition and independent candidates are putting up a strong fight. Nonetheless, election fraud and widespread political repression to subvert the will of the people are now a certainty,” poll watchdog Kontra Daya said.

They urged the public to be vigilant against all persons who are allegedly out to sow terror and manipulate the election results.

“Widespread fraud must be met with widespread resistance and opposition. Poll results that are tainted with fraud must be rejected by the electorate,” the groups said.

The parish-based election watchdog Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) yesterday said it is 100 percent prepared for its conduct of partial and unofficial quick count of election results.

“I believe that we have been able to get the 300,000 volunteers. We have shipped 300,000 volunteer IDs and these are distributed already,” PPCRV media director Agnes Gervacio said.

At the PPCRV’s Command Center at Pope Pius XII Catholic Center along UN Avenue in Manila, there are 100 units of computers where volunteers would encode the votes.

During the first few days, when there are large volumes of election returns coming in, there would be three shifts and for each shift they would require 100 encoders.

The group’s chairperson emeritus and former Philippine ambassador to Rome Henrietta de Villa said she has already retired from the PPCRV but seeing the Command Center up and running “gets me all worked up.”

“This is (an) icon of Filipino volunteerism that could be counted as a hallmark of democracy,” De Villa added.

The PPCRV continues to advocate for CHAMP or Clean, Honest, Accurate, Meaningful and Peaceful elections.

For its part, Democracy Watch Philippines (DWP) yesterday asked the Comelec to be transparent in its operations.

In a statement, DWP secretary general Claudettte Guevarra noted that Smartmatic has “transferred the administration of the automated election system” to the poll body.

For the midterm polls, the Comelec has reduced the role of Smartmatic to providing technical support for the 85,000 units of VCMs. – With Mary Grace Padin, Janvic Mateo, Evelyn Macairan, Sheila Crisostomo