245 vote buying incidents recorded

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said at least 245 vote buying incidents were reported in the 2022 national and local election season.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said that 41 suspects were already identified for vote buying throughout the campaign season from Jan. 1 to May 9.

However, authorities have gathered evidence for 25 cases, while 20 cases are under investigation, four have been referred to the prosecution office and one has been filed before the courts.

“We continue to look for evidence in other vote buying incidents. For now, we have arrested 28 people and continue looking for 13 more,” he said in Filipino during the Talk to the People briefing aired yesterday.

The DILG chief also reported that they did not monitor any politician who paid money for permits to campaign in areas held by communist rebels.

“And we report, Mr. President, on permits to campaign that the NPA (New People’s Army) produced, we did not monitor any politicians who accepted, paid money or resources to the CPP-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army),” Año added.

DILG data showed that there were 27 election-related violent incidents during election day on May 9.

This included at least 11 shooting incidents in the areas of Albay, Negros Oriental, Cotabato City, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Zamboanga del Norte.

There were also disturbances and bombings in Maguindanao, Camarines Sur, Lanao del Sur and Tawi-Tawi.

“Twenty-seven incidents resulting in seven deaths and 33 injured, but in our validation, only six are suspected to be election-related incidents on election day, May 9,” he added.

Año noted that there was no reported failure of election in any precinct in the country.

Still, he said the number of election related violence cases has dropped by ten-fold in the 2022 national and local elections, compared to the past two presidential polls.

He said that there were only 16 validated election-related incidents (ERIs) for the election season, compared to 166 in 2010 and 133 cases in 2016.

There were ERIs validated in Regions I, III, IX, X and the Cordillera Administrative Region when the election period began on Jan. 9 until before the May 9 elections.

Año called on the next administration to continue DILG programs launched by President Duterte, especially the campaign against illegal drugs and criminality, as well as the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict. – Janvic Mateo