Partido Reporma standard bearer and presidential candidate Senator Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said on Thursday, Nov. 25 that vote-buying and fake news are the top threats not only for the coming 2022 national elections but for democracy as well.
In Partido Reporma’s weekly “Meet the Press” program today, Lacson also urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the National Privacy Commission to coordinate more closely to address the problem of digital vote-buying ahead of the May 9 polls next year.
‘’That’s correct. Vote-buying is really a threat, not just to the electoral system but to democracy itself, with its long-term effect on democracy. If we don’t stop it, it’s a reflection that people really want it (vote buying) because it is temporal, votes can be bought, but our country will suffer as a result,’’ he pointed out.
‘’The Comelec should really have close coordination with our Data Privacy Commission... there’s an increase, so to speak, of digital vote-buying. The Comelec needs to resolve that if they want to correct this, starting now they should coordinate more closely with the Data Privacy Commission, so they can address this problem of digital vote-buying immediately,’’ he added.
Partido Reporma emphasized that this is one of the reasons why the campaign of Lacson and running mate Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III continues to elevate the discussions on the country’s issues to Filipino voters, because a temporary handout during the polls won’t solve the country’s myriad problems.
‘’For us, we always bring the discussion to the issues. You know, if you get P1,000 (or) P2,000 that’s one day, two days’ costs for you. What our countrymen should learn is what effect that has in six years – or three years in the case of local officials – of your life. That’s what we should look at if ever we are thinking of someone to vote for,’’ Lacson said.
‘’You know, that’s desperation. If you get one thousand for one day, you forget what the effect is on you after six years (of a national politician’s term),’’ he added.