With the May 2022 polls less than a year away, an official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has asked voters not to sell their vote.
"Don’t sell your vote. No matter how big you will receive in exchange for your votes, it is guaranteed that you will pay them more once they are already seated in power," Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez said in his Twitter account @jabjimenez.
He said taking the money but still voting who you want to is also not acceptable.
"Dear patriots, you’re not being clever; you’re not being edgy; and you sure as heck are not being wise when you advocate selling your vote and voting for who you really want. The ends do not justify the means," said Jimenez.
He also said that the poll body alone cannot fully prevent vote buying, especially if it goes digital. "Addressing this issue isn't something that anyone of our agencies can do by itself. It will have to be a common effort by all agencies," said Jimenez in a television interview Thursday, June 17.
"We've been saying this as much for the longest time, or since the people started using e-wallets. We have seen that potential," he added.
"Especially with the onset of the pandemic, many transactions have moved into online transactions. That's obviously keeping us late at night," said Jimenez.
Vote buying is defined as politicians offering voters with cash, food, or anything of value in exchange for their votes.