As candidates have began holding caravans and listening tours in advance of the formal start of the campaign season in February next year, the evils of vote buying have been brought to the fore. Calling attention to this illegal act were a Commission on Elections commissioner, a prominent religious leader and a presidential candidate.
Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon warned in a virtual forum against the possibility of electronic vote buying, citing alleged foreign meddling in the US elections in 2016. She urged the public to report vote-buying incidents to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas that she says, has the resources to look into these through its digital capabilities. She pointed out that vote buying constitutes “election sabotage.” Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas denounced vote buying as a “mark of the devil,” saying it is a form of corruption that takes advantage of the vulnerability of the poor. He cited early attempts at vote buying disguised as giving ayuda (assistance) on account of the pandemic.
Senator Panfilo Lacson, a presidential candidate, warned the citizenry that giving in to vote buyers would likely consign them to more miserable lives for the next three to six years. He urged them to vote wisely and choose the right leaders.
Vote buying is the first of several prohibited acts under the Omnibus Election Code’s section 261. Vote buying and vote selling are defined as follows: (1) “Any person who gives, offers or promises money or anything of value, gives or promises any office or employment, franchise or grant, public or private, or makes or offers to make an expenditure, directly, or indirectly, or cause an expenditure to be made to any person, association, corporation, entity, or community in order to induce anyone or the public in general to vote for or against any candidate or withhold his vote in the election, or to vote for or against any aspirant for the nomination or choice of a candidate in the convention or similar election process of a political party; (2) Any person, association, corporation, group or community who solicits or receives, directly or indirectly, any expenditure or promise of any office or employment, public, or private, for any of the foregoing considerations.” Imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than six years not subject to probation is the range of penalties for violation of the election code. Apparently, this has not been an adequate deterrent given the rampant practice of vote buying and vote selling that seem to be deeply embedded in our political culture.
Vote buying and vote selling must be denounced and deterred by a vigilant citizenry. One of the vital principles of our democracy is declared in the Constitution: “Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them.” Ultimately, the sovereign people must willfully ensure that this power is not subverted, sold, or bartered away. An enlightened electorate will defend the sanctity of the ballot and the integrity of the election process.