Comelec tells PNP: Arrest vote buyers

‘Warrantless arrest allowed’

MANILA, Philippines — Amid a surge in vote buying incidents, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has reminded the Philippine National Police (PNP) that those engaging in such illegal activities can be arrested even without a warrant.

The poll body has directed the PNP to strictly comply with the Comelec resolution upholding the legality of warrantless arrests in connection with the midterm polls.

“We are once again reminding the PNP, as our deputized agent, to stop the act of vote buying. They can arrest people even without a warrant because that is an outright crime being committed right in front of us,” Comelec Chairman George Garcia said in Filipino in a radio interview yesterday.

Under the Comelec resolution, any law enforcement officer may, without a warrant, arrest a person when, in the presence of such officer, the person to be arrested has committed, is actually committing, or is attempting to commit an election offense such as vote buying.

The Comelec reiterated that non-compliance with the directive is valid ground for criminal and administrative liability.

Garcia said vote buying was rampant because no arrests are being made, with the PNP Legal Service even coming out with an issuance that prohibits warrantless arrests.

Garcia, however, stressed that the 1987 Constitution, Supreme Court ruling as well as Comelec rules allow warrantless arrests, particularly those caught in the act of committing a crime.

“We are please asking the PNP, show people that we will not allow vote buying, and we will definitely protect you when you do your job right,” he said.

Garcia said the poll body has so far received 500 reports of vote-buying incidents nationwide.

He said out of the 500, the Comelec has issued over 200 show-cause orders against the candidates allegedly involved in those vote-buying incidents.

Garcia said politicians appeared to have resorted to traditional forms of vote buying such as distributing cash and gift certificates.

In Catanduanes, he said, the local Comelec office encountered problems because police authorities could not stop vote-buying activities.

However, Garcia gave assurance that the Comelec is closely monitoring those reports and is now closely coordinating with PNP top officials.

“We may not resolve or make a decision (on vote buyers) today, but candidates must remember, even if they win, we will go after them,” Garcia said, and added the poll body is coming out with a resolution suspending the proclamation of candidates with strong evidence of vote buying against them.

Even if those candidates will not be immediately disqualified, he said, the Comelec can pursue a legal offense case against them.

Garcia further warned that even those who sell their votes can face the same penalties.

Meanwhile, the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) – a non-partisan, nationwide network of lawyers, law students, paralegals and grassroots volunteers engaged to do election work – recorded almost 100 vote-buying incidents right before the midterms.

In an interview over dzBB, LENTE executive director Rona Ann Caritos said the vote-buying incidents escalated on the evening of May 9 at various barangay halls, voter’s residences and last minute assemblies.

Caritos urged the public to stay vigilant since it is during the last few days leading to the elections when candidates make a last-ditch effort to secure votes.

She admitted that vote buying remains a big problem in the country, more rampant with local than national candidates.

LENTE said that 70 percent of the reports they received were about vote buying, while the remaining 30 percent were allegedly about concerns on the abuse of state resources, such as candidates joining the distribution of social welfare program payouts during the campaign period.

Foreigners joining rallies face penalties

In connection with today’s midterm polls, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) warned foreigners that they might be deported if they would be caught taking part in political gatherings such as campaigns and rallies.

In a statement, BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said foreign nationals should observe the limitations of their stay and discouraged them from joining political campaigns and rallies.

“Foreign nationals are prohibited from joining rallies, campaigns, or any political gatherings. These actions may be grounds for deportation,” Viado said, adding that visa cancellation and a travel blacklist as other possible consequences.

He said “such participation is a violation of Philippine immigration policies which bar foreign involvement in political activities,” and encouraged the public to report violations or suspicious activities involving foreign nationals through the BI’s official Facebook page at Facebook.com/officialbureauofimmigration.

Canvassing open to EU observers

In the meantime, Garcia invited delegates of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM) to witness the Comelec National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) which is set to convene today at 3 p.m. in Tent City of the Manila Hotel.

“Observers and all other interested parties are welcome to enter the voting precincts during the close voting stage, to observe the printing of election returns, the transmission of the election results and the ballot review process,” Garcia said in a letter to EU-EOM chief observer Marta Temido.

The poll chief gave assurances that election observers can continue with their election activities, although they are restricted from entering polling places during the voting process.

Garcia said election observers can visit public schools and any of the 42 designated malls that serve as voting centers and witness the voting procedures, as long as members of the electoral board can perform their work efficiently and voters can cast their ballots in secrecy.

He said the canvassing venues for cities, municipalities and provinces are also open to election observers when the board of canvassers will be convening for the preliminaries to the canvassing process.

The Comelec, Garcia said, is posting on its website unofficial results of the election in real time. Aside from the website, the public can also check the election results at the operations center which the poll body put up at the main office in Intramuros, Manila.

Vote early

Expecting a long queue in all polling precincts nationwide, the Comelec advised voters to go to polling centers and cast their ballots early, with a reminder to have a prepared list of the candidates they will vote for.

Garcia said they are also hoping for a slightly higher voter turnout compared to past midterm elections, and there is no reason for registered voters not to participate in today’s polls since May 12 has been declared a holiday.

He also announced that Filipinos abroad can still enroll until noon today (Philippine Standard Time) in the overseas voting system, and cast their votes online.

Garcia said regular voting hours are from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., but senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and heavily pregnant women can already cast their vote as early as 5 a.m.

He said the Comelec has set up satellite priority polling places exclusively for senior citizens, PWDs, and heavily pregnant women, who may opt to vote in regular polling precincts if they want.

Threat Monitoring Center

A Threat Monitoring Center has been formed by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), in partnership with the Comelec.

“The Threat Monitoring Center is operational, fully equipped to detect and combat the spread of false information,” DICT Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center officer-in-charge Renato Paraiso said.

Executives of state agencies and digital platforms Meta, TikTok and Google were present at the joint briefing.

Poll duty honoraria not increased?

A teachers’ group yesterday disputed the Department of Budget and Management (DBM)’s recent announcement of an across-the-board increase in poll duty honoraria, saying the figures touted by the agency were not new and had long been set by the Comelec.

The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) said there was “no such thing as an increase” with the recent announcement of a P2,000 additional compensation.

The DBM and Department of Education announced last Friday that poll duty compensation will increase across the board – Electoral Board (EB) chairpersons will receive P12,000 from P10,000; EB members will get P11,000 from P9,000; and support staff will receive P8,000 from P6,000.

“It’s not true there was an increase in honoraria because the pay of the EB chair remains at P12,000; P11,000 for EB members; and P8,000 for support staff. But that’s what’s really on the Comelec’s general instructions, that’s what’s being said during our training. We’ve known that for a long time,” said TDC spokesman Jim Beleno in Filipino, who will also serve as EB chairperson in a precinct at Roxas High School in Manila.

Beleno explained that these amounts were already conveyed to teachers during the Comelec training and are clearly stipulated in Comelec Resolution 11076, or the General Instructions for the Electoral Board, promulgated on Oct. 30, 2024.

He added, even before the training sessions in March, Garcia had already committed in a February 2024 meeting to increasing the poll workers’ compensation.

This commitment came after the TDC asked whether the Comelec would continue supporting the tax exemption for election duty pay following President Marcos’ veto of the proposed bill.

Beleno then challenged the DBM and the Marcos administration to go beyond the announced increases and push for the revival and passage of the vetoed tax-exemption bill.

“We urge the President and Congress to take favorable action to exempt our honoraria from taxes. That is the more meaningful relief we’ve long been asking for,” he stressed.

Bayan hits smear job

Bayan president Renato Reyes Jr. yesterday called on the Comelec to take legal action against people and groups spreading disinformation targeting Makabayan bloc party-list groups.

Reyes decried the “last-minute smear and disinformation campaign” falsely claiming that certain Makabayan-affiliated party-lists, including Bayan Muna, had been disqualified by Comelec or tagged as “terrorists” by the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC).

He said the disinformation materials circulating online use fake Comelec and ATC documents and are designed to look official by incorporating government logos and manipulated graphics resembling those of mainstream news organizations.

Electoral guidance

Caloocan’s Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David yesterday advised the Catholic faithful to pray for guidance in selecting the candidates they would vote for.

According to CBCPNews, David, also the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, said voters should consider the future of the country and the next generation when they cast their vote. — Evelyn Macairan, Neil Jayson Servallos, Mark Ernest Villeza, Rainier Allan Ronda