COMELEC cites vote buying 'rampant and cancer problem of society'

The Philippine Information Agency (PIA)-Misamis Occidental holds the fourth episode of virtual Talakayan for Misamis Occidental, dubbed "Let's Talk MisOcc" with COMELEC Regional Election Lawyer Gina Luna-Zayas Sabio to talk on the preparations for May 9 Local and National Elections via Zoom, April 29. (PIA-10)

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) region 10 recognized vote buying to be rampant and a cancer problem in society where it can only be stopped when people stop selling and buying votes as a personal conviction.

During “Let’s Talk MisOcc” virtual forum, COMELEC regional election attorney Gina Luna Zayas-Sabio said that they received many complaints but not all are legitimate and not all complaints are actionable.

“Ang atong lang ge- aksyonan ang katong naka-violate sa right sa kandidato or naka-violate sa usa sa atong mga supporters or sa atong mga lumulopyo as a whole," she said.

(We will only take action if violation is against the right of a candidate or one of the supporters or the people as a whole).

“We do the apprehension and prevention of it but at the end of the day it can only prevented and stopped when those who buy and those who will vote will stop receiving or entertaining the seller because it is a personal conviction to stop the vote buying and it is an individual decision,” Atty. Sabio said.

The lawyer reiterated that vote buying is really happening away from the crowd and away from cameras and urged people to provide documents and substantiate complaints.

Meanwhile, COMELEC will also implement a thermal scan screening on Election Day, May 9 to make sure no one has a fever upon going inside polling precincts.

"Let us exercise our right to vote by going to our polling precincts as early as 5:30am so that by the opening of the poll of 6:00am, we will be able to vote early and not to wait for the last minute,” she shared.

As to the preparedness and efficiency of the teachers and electoral boards, COMELEC has conducted a final briefing and refresher of all electoral board workers together with other poll workers.

Sabio also said that all Vote Counting Machines (VCMs) for region 10 are already in their respective hubs: Cagayan De Oro for VCMs to be used in Camiguin, Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon. Another hub also in Iligan City for the province of Lanao Del Sur and Lanao Del Norte and for Misamis Occidental hub is in Dipolog.

The province has 484,832 voters, 801 clustered precincts, 801 Vote Counting Machines (VCMs) in all the polling centers and 2,403 electoral boards for the entire Misamis Occidental.(Shaine Mae R. Nagtalon/PIA-10/Misamis Occidental)