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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DILG backs Comelec in activating task force vs vote-buying

DILG backs Comelec in activating task force vs vote-buying

Published Apr 11, 2022 03:14 pm

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) lauded the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for relaunching the Task Force Kontra Bigay (TFKB) which aims to address cases of vote buying for the May 9 national and local elections.

DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said the reactivation of the TFKB in all the local government units (LGUs) is the antidote to the vote-buying ways of the rogue political aspirants.

He noted that the TFKB was first activated during the 2019 elections at the provincial bracket with the DILG proposing its activation at the municipal level in the May 2022 local and national polls.

“Ngayon 2022 inaasahan ng DILG na kaagad agad ay maaprubahan na ng Comelec yung resolution reconstituting and reactivating the Task Force Kontra Bigay sa tingin ko naging matagumpay ito dahil meron tayong (This year in 2022 the DILG expects the Comelec to immediately approve the resolution reconstituting and reactivating the Task Force Kontra Bigay which I think is successful because we arrested) 356 violators who were accosted by the dedicated anti vote buying teams of the PNP at meron tayong P12 million vote buying money (and we have P12 million vote buying money) that confiscated which served as evidence,” Malaya said during the Laging Handa briefing.

Malaya assured that the the DILG will verify the status of the cases filed against the persons who were accosted for being involved in election vote-buying activities during the 2019 midterm election

The inter-agency "Task Force Kontra Bigay" is composed of the Comelec, Department of Justice (DOJ), Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, DILG, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police, and Armed Forces of the Philippines, for their concerted effort to confront head-on the menace of vote-buying in our country.

In a previous meeting with the Comele, Malaya said that the resolution will be approved on April 13 and after the Holy Week break will have their scheduled initial meeting with members of the task force.

Malaya said the Department of Justice (DOJ) will be tasked when it comes to the prosecution of people who are involved in vote-buying.

“It's just that the Comelec who can prosecute through the DOJ kasi iba iba ang pillars ng ating (we have different pillars in) justice system on the part of the DILG and PNP we will focus on making arrest or accosting them for violation of the election code pero matapos ang aming trabaho ililipat namin yan sa (after we finish our job we will give it to the DOJ) and Comelec for the prosecution and filing of charges hanggang makarating sa korte,” Malaya explained.

“Sana matutukan din natin ang prosecution naman ng mga taong ito para makita ng ating mga kababayan na seryoso tayo sa ating hakbang para pigilan o mabawasan man lamang ang vote buying sa ating bansa (I hope we can also focus on the prosecution of these people so that our countrymen can see that we are serious in our steps to prevent or at least reduce vote buying in our country,),” he added.

Comelec Commissioner Aimee Torrefrance-Neri said that TFKB is a convergence effort of all the commissioners of the Comelec, Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the DILG, its attached agency the PNP and other national government agencies that will expedite all investigations against vote-buying.

Vote-buying and vote-selling are prohibited under Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code.

The law states that vote-buying applies to “any person who gives, offers or promises money or anything of value 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 a convention or similar selection process of a political party.”

On the other hand, vote selling is committed when voters sell or receive money in exchange for their votes for or against any candidate. (Chito A. Chavez)

Related Tags

may 2022 poll activate task force vote buying Comelec DILG
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