Comelec starts tackling vote buy/sell complaints

MANILA, Philippines — Aside from premature campaigning, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is looking into 40 complaints of vote-buying and vote-selling in the run-up to the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) on Oct. 30.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the Committee on Kontra Bigay headed by Commissioner Ernesto Maceda Jr. is readying the filing of criminal cases against those involved in vote-buying and vote-selling.

“From 23 last time, its 40 now. If there is evidence (we can file cases),” Garcia disclosed yesterday, noting that two of the disqualification cases filed by the Comelec for premature campaigning also involved vote-buying. “Therefore, this early there are those who buy votes. They are sending feelers.”

But Garcia expressed optimism that if the Comelec is able to immediately resolve disqualification cases before the campaign period, cases of vote-buying and selling can be prevented. Those who will win the elections and eventually be found guilty of vote-buying will not be able to assume post, he said.

“But take note, those who will be charged, even if they win, they could still be disqualified,” he stated, while noting that vote-buying is an election offense with a five-year prescriptive period. “Win or lose, it is still a criminal case.”

Yesterday, the Comelec forged with the Public Attorney’s Office an agreement ensuring those who filed vote-buying and other election offenses will have their own legal counsels.

Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco said that aside from public lawyers, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines has also volunteered to help Comelec in filing cases against erring candidates.

500 bets face DQ

Around 500 candidates are expected to be disqualified and barred from running in the BSKE due to premature campaigning.

“As of now no one yet (disqualified) but we expect that out of around 4,000 that was sent show cause orders, the Task Force Anti-Epal thinks there are about 500 that are solid cases,” Laudiangco said.

The Comelec filed last Friday the first batch of 35 disqualification cases and Laudiangco gave assurance that the erring bets would be removed from the official list of candidates before election day.

Unless able to obtain a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court, Laudiangco said, the disqualified candidates will not be allowed to run in the elections. Votes in their favor will not be counted and considered stray.

“If they could not secure a temporary restraining order within five days, the Commission’s resolution (for disqualification) will be final and executory and we will remove them from the list of candidates,” he pointed out.

According to Laudiangco, the Comelec task force against premature campaigning as well as the committee against vote buying and vote selling will not stop working until violators of elections law are convicted.

He said the Comelec prioritized the filing of disqualification petitions over the criminal cases so that erring bets would be removed from the official list of candidates.

“If they are disqualified by Comelec, they are automatically removed from the list of candidates. They are not included anymore and we won’t stop there. After that we will be conducting preliminary investigation to determine if there is probable cause to proceed to election offense,” Laudiangco explained.

He encouraged the public to report any premature campaigning violation to Comelec thru Facebook, Instagram, email, or Messenger