The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has received over 400 complaints of vote buying and abuse of state resources (ASR) just days before the May 12 midterm elections.
Comelec-Committee on Kontra-Bigay chairperson Commissioner Ernesto Maceda said a total of 439 reports had been filed as of May 8—268 involving vote buying, 130 on ASR, and 41 involving both.
Maceda noted that the most common vote buying methods included cash distribution, assistance, and gifts of value. Meanwhile, reported ASR violations largely involved the use of government aid or “ayuda” to influence votes.
“We are already approaching 450 total reports on vote buying and ASR,” Maceda said at a media forum in Manila. “We will be evaluating and see if it merits the filing of an election offense and petition for disqualification.”
Comelec Chairperson George Garcia also assured the public that they are prepared to suspend the proclamation of winning candidates with pending disqualification cases.
“In suspending proclamation, there must be strong evidence and not based on mere gossip,” he said. “We cannot suspend all of them because we also have to weigh in on the will of the voters,” Garcia added.