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By VERA Files | Tinig Ng Botante â€" 18 hours ago


By Mikha Flores, VERA Files

Three weeks to go to the May 13 polls, the Commission on Elections is starting to receive reports of vote-buying by candidates.

Elections Commissioner Grace Padaca said Monday she has received reports that rice and grocery items were being doled out by politicians in her hometown in Isabela but she declined to name the candidates.

Padaca also cited instances where voters were given transportation money to Visayas in exchange for votes.

“Parang hindi na lang nangyayari ang bilihan ng boto the night before the election, (It seems vote-buying no longer happens on the eve of the elections),” Padaca said.

Comelec Chair Sixto Brillantes Jr. said the early forms of vote-buying do not involve cash but “more of other forms of vote-buying”.

“Ang sa akin, ang sa experience ko diyan, very risky magbigay ng pera this early. Meron nang namimigay pero malamang hindi iboboto iyon dahil may darating pa the day before na mas malaki, (Based on my experience, it’s very risky to give out money this early. There are some who are already giving money but they would likely not get voted because a bigger amount would be given on the eve of the elections),” Brillantes, who was an election lawyer before he was appointed to Comelec, said.

Vote-buying is prohibited under the Omnibus Election Code and carries a penalty of up to six years in prison. Giving anything of value or withholding a voter’s right to vote in exchange for cash are considered forms of vote-buying.

“Tanggapin ninyo lahat ng binibigay…pero huwag niyong iboto iyong nagbigay. Siguro yan ang magandang rule (Accept anything that is given to you but don’t vote for the one who gave the money. Maybe that should be the rule),” Brillantes said.

Brillantes said giving election materials like umbrellas or other small items is allowed but the poll body will have meet en banc to set a ceiling on the price of giveaways that is allowable.

He added that they will try something new this election to curb-vote buying but declined to give specifics. “It will involve a very sensitive area of vote-buying. Something new but let’s see whether we can implement it,” Brillantes said.

He also instructed Comelec’s regional directors to start monitoring instances of vote-buying in their respective areas.

maapas kaha sa monitoring?  una, way candidate nga mo-admit nga nag-vote buying sila. 

suwayi god nang loay.  hasta ang comelec dinha nagkat-on nag hilom na lang.  the battery of lawyers of the incumbent mao na lay pasultihon.  but everyone there knows nga tunga usa ang ihatag prior to election, unya ang tunga pagkahuman.  ang bagulbol sa mga tawo kay wa gyod kuno mahitabo nga gituman ang paghatag sa 50% pagkahuman. 

kwartahay gyod hinoon nga makalilisang.  imagine, mokabat ug 7k ang total nga ihatag kunohay per voter.  moingon na pod nga dako rang kwartaha ipanghatag unya ang sweldo 30k per month ra?  aw, come on, money is not the issue here.  kayang-kaya.  it's power.  and a dynasty in the making.

Na sugod na jud kay segi na kadawat tag 200 tong mga botante sa amoa lain pa tong bugas ug nilata. the best is yet to come kono.

kong mao ron nga P7000 lang diay per voter, mo lansar ko ug mayor sa maribojoc

sure jud ka makadaug Pre-balong;D

magpa-register ko nga voter sa maribojoc kun himoon nimong 10k, sir balong.  no installment, please.  money down, pre-election.

Hehehehe.

Sa amo wa pay vote-buying pero sige nag banghagay bisan asa, abot sa pisbuk uroy nanggilalis.

this is not a surprising news ... dugay ra ni oi tigbuhat sa mga politicians ..

sa maribojoc nalang pud ko pa rehistro ug mauhon heheheh

balhin pud ko butar sa maribojoc

kalami palandungon...

imagine kun mga tblanders magpanon ug botar sa maribojoc kay nilansar si sir balong.  kun mapildi, kahibawo siya kinsa iyang buyboyon.  kun makadaog unya di magkadimao simbako nga pagka-mayor, sayon rag kinsay atong bitayon.

may puruhan pa nga mabalhin ang chess tournament venue from tagbilaran to maribojoc.  it is not even unlikely nga ang icm mismo ang mabalhin...

daghana supporters si sir balong oi...

Naa bas injo ingani?

Naay mga pulitiko nga magarkila ug bus pauli sa probinsiya para makabotar tong mga tawo nga dias Manila. Hehehe.Of course, given na kung kinsa kinahanglan butaran.

Quote from: taga tigbao on April 26, 2013, 04:40:30 PM
Naa bas injo ingani?

Naay mga pulitiko nga magarkila ug bus pauli sa probinsiya para makabotar tong mga tawo nga dias Manila. Hehehe.Of course, given na kung kinsa kinahanglan butaran.

naa man pud na sa tagbilaran nga libre sakay padung sa botaranan para sure nga maka-botar ka

Naa jud,kay kana man ganing ICM ug mag 3 days sale na sila naay libre nga multicab hatud kuha from ICM to Alturas.