Comelec’s Ferolino tasked to lead anti-vote buying task force
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections has appointed Commissioner Aimee Ferolino to lead its anti-vote buying task force.
Commissioner George Garcia on Wednesday said Comelec, sitting en banc, has chosen Ferolino to lead its Task Force “Kontra Bigay.”
“Si Commissioner Ferolino ang magpapatawag kaagad ng mga meeting ng task force, mag-da-draft ng necessary additional guidelines at the same time, magpapatupad nitong mandato ng Commission on Elections to either motu proprio or to accept complaints tungkol sa vote buying,” Garcia said.
(Commissioner Ferolino will be the one to call for the task force’s meetings, draft additional guidelines, and at the same time, will lead the commission’s mandate to either motu proprio or accept complaints on vote buying.)
Ferolino will be heading the inter-agency task force, which includes members from the Department of Justice, Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine Information Agency, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police, and Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The task force will be focusing on the vote buying complaints filed before Comelec. The poll body previously said that it would rely on social media posts to track vote buying this campaign season.
This comes just days after reports of “UniTeam” rally attendees in Dasmariñas, Cavite last week were given cash prizes by none other than Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla through a talent show, which was held right before presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and vice presidential bet Sara Duterte arrived. The Cavite incident happened just a few days after Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Matias Umali clarified that attendees of a UniTeam rally in his province received financial aid and that the cash envelopes were not related to the Marcos-Duterte campaign, which both camps also denied involvement in.
The Omnibus Election Code recognizes those guilty of vote buying, vote selling, and other acts stated under Article XXII may face imprisonment of at least one year and may be banned from holding public office.
It also provides: “Any political party found guilty shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than ten thousand pesos, which shall be imposed upon such party after criminal action has been instituted in which their corresponding officials have been found guilty.”
Comelec’s Garcia said Ferolino was chosen because of her background and experience, adding Ferolino is also part of other Comelec committees.
Ferolino made headlines earlier this year after Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon, who was just about to retire, alluded that Ferolino was delaying the poll body’s decision on the consolidated disqualification cases against Marcos. Ferolino was assigned to write Comelec’s decision on the petitions, which were eventually dismissed.
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