It appears that the Commission on Elections is serious in going after vote-buyers, vote-sellers and incumbent officials abusing government resources for election purposes during the 2025 National and Local Elections.
Last week, it unveiled the Committee on Kontra Bigay, with its membership expanded and law enforcers authorized to conduct surveillance and validate information, reports, or complaints related to vote-buying, vote-selling, or acts of abuse of state resources.
Among the 13 presumed acts of vote-buying and vote-selling in Resolution No. 11104 are: (1) Possessing or delivering money, pay envelopes, bags, groceries or anything of value with sample ballots or campaign materials; (2) Offering or promising something of value for campaign purposes; (3) Long lines or queues for distribution of money, insurance or health cards, and grocery items for campaign purposes;
(4) Giving money and grocery items during house-to-house campaign; (5) Holding bingo games or talent shows with prizes where names of candidates are mentioned/displayed; (6) Employing “hakot” system on May 11 and 12 for distribution of money and sample filled-out ballots;
(7) Possessing or transporting P500,000; (8) Causing the splitting of P20,000 to smaller denominations; (9) Conducting medical missions, legal aid services and feeding programs where names of candidates ate mentioned or displayed;
(10) Giving or distributing “ayuda” where names of candidates are mentioned/displayed or “ayuda” which is not normally given to qualified individuals; (11) Hiring or appointing 2 poll watchers per precinct per candidate; and (12) Possessing indelible ink on May 12; and, (13) Possessing blank original ballots on May 12.
The same resolution likewise prohibits the distribution of “ayuda” such as TUPAD, AKAP, AICS and 4Ps (except medical and burial assistance) 10 days before Election Day and during Election Day.
Identified as liable persons are candidates who are incumbent elected officials or their spouses or members of their families within the 2nd civil degree of affinity or consanguinity, or their known supporters or employees.
COMELEC Commissioner George Erwin Garcia emphasized that individuals caught in the act of committing the presumed acts of vote-buying and vote-selling can be arrested without a warrant by any law enforcement agency.
Under Article 12 of the Omnibus Election Code, vote-buying and vote-selling are punishable by imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than six years, with the candidate disqualified from running in the elections.