Comelec: Vote-buying complaints reach 806 cases

Four days after the midterm polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it continues to receive reports of vote-buying activities, with over 800 cases recorded as of yesterday morning.

- By RHODINA VILLANUEVA

"As of 7:30 a.m., total reports and complaints we received is 806, and even if election day has long been held last Monday, there are still trickles coming in," Comelec Commissioner Ernesto Maceda Jr. said in a radio interview yesterday.

The Comelec noted that out of these 806 complaints, 636 refer to vote-buying incidents while 268 for abuse of state resources.

"While vote-buying highlights the direct use or giving out of money, under the abuse of state resources, it is more serious. Here, the good thing is you can directly pinpoint those in office or power commit abuse of state resources. Unlike in vote-buying, more often than not, you will only be able to arrest the middleman or the supporter," he said.

Maceda, chairman of the Comelec's Committee on Kontra Bigay (CKB), encouraged the public to report incidents of vote-buying and vote-selling.

"We will continue to accept your reports and complaints," he said. "Since most of the winning local candidates have already been proclaimed, what will happen is that your complaints against these officials might just turn into a filing of an election offense."

"Those who are hoping for these officials to be disqualified, that period has already ended since the candidates have already been proclaimed," he added.