The Supreme Court En Banc has denied the petitions of Charina C. Bagor and Erlinda Curativo challenging their disqualification by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) as candidates for Sangguniang Bayan member of Candijay, Bohol, during the 2025 National and Local Elections.
In its October 28, 2026 session, the Court affirmed the COMELEC’s ruling in G.R. Nos. E-02233 and E-03605 after finding substantial evidence of vote-buying in violation of Section 68 of the Omnibus Election Code.
Bagor was accused of distributing food packs to residents days before the election and asking them to remember her as a candidate. Curativo, meanwhile, was accused of giving ₱60,000 to a barangay kagawad for distribution to voters at ₱100 each before election day.
The Court upheld the disqualifications, ruling that the acts constituted vote-buying intended to influence voters. Their proclamations as winning candidates were consequently voided.
The Supreme Court emphasized that vote-buying undermines free and fair elections by replacing the will of voters with monetary incentives. It stressed the need to prosecute those involved and prevent them from entering public office, underscoring the importance of protecting electoral integrity and the freedom of voters to choose their leaders.
