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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Comelec seeks law reform allowing the arrest of vote buyers caught in the act

Comelec seeks law reform allowing the arrest of vote buyers caught in the act

Published Oct 5, 2022 04:56 pm

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has established an electoral reforms working committee and one of the legislative reforms they seek is to allow law enforcement agencies to arrest alleged vote buyers and sellers who are caught red-handed.

MB file photo

This was stated by Comelec Acting Spokesperson John Rex C. Laudiangco during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday, Oct. 5.

"Kasi if titignan nyo po under the Omnibus Election Code, anything related sa campaign kahit pa nahuli ‘yan, hindi po pwedeng arestuhin, or ikulong (If you will look under the Omnibus Election Code, anything related sa campagin even though they are caught in the act, they cannot be arrested or detained)," he explained.

What the police do as well as the Comelec, is to file cases against these individuals. Stating why the law is such, he mentioned that this was maybe done to prevent it from being used to harass the campaign people.

However, Laudiangco said that the poll body will ask for an exemption when it comes to vote-buying and vote-selling and allow law enforcers to apprehend violators engaged in the act which has run rampant.

Also part of this legislative reform agenda that the Comelec is pushing for is the criminalization of nuisance candidates. as well as the expansion and re-definition of vote-buying and vote-selling to be inclusive of the modernized practices, to easily link activities of vote-buying and vote-selling.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said in May that the only solution he sees to solve the problem of vote buying is to revise the existing laws. First of which is to put heavier penalties that will cause offenders to think twice before doing the illegal act, according to him.

Next is to make the process more convenient for complainants who seek to file charges by easing the requirements. Garcia said that this will make it easier for them to file the cases before the court. He added that although he understands that the burden of proof is on the complainants, in the end, they will be asked to produce a multitude of evidence to prove their claim.

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