Public urged to report vote buying incidents to Comelec
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections on Wednesday urged the public to report vote buying incidents to the poll body.
Commissioner George Garcia said the Comelec will create a task force to probe vote buying incidents. The poll body also ordered field personnel to investigate reports.
“Please file the necessary complaints so that at least we can study the evidence presented. We can require the respondent to answer the allegations thrown against them,” Garcia said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.
“We will be needing these reports not only to sanction field personnel… but at the same time, we’d like to strengthen the evidence that may be presented to us in the event a formal case will be filed or in the event Comelec conducts a motu proprio investigation,” he said.
The Comelec official stressed cases should not be based on news reports. “We should file cases based on concrete evidence as presented.”
Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla on Tuesday handed out cash prizes to supporters attending a sortie of Uniteam bets, saying the campaign period for local bets has yet to start. He added the act happened before any candidate of the ticket arrived.
Last week, footage of distribution of envelopes, reportedly with P500 inside, to attendees of a Uniteam rally in Nueva Ecija hit the news. Oyie Umali, the province’s governor, said the envelopes contained financial aid.
Without referring to a particular incident, Garcia said the start of the local campaign period may be an argument, but “there’s also question in the case of vote buying whether there can be a conspiracy to buy vote.”
“That is the reason why I’ve been emphasizing as a lawyer… file the formal case, let them answer because in their counter-affidavit definitely I can see the weakness. I can see whether their defense is valid or not, whether the evidence is a manufactured evidence or is an evidence that will not stand in court,” he said. — Gaea Katreena Cabico
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