BY IME SORNITO
ILOILO City – With just days to go before the May 12 national and local elections, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Western Visayas has issued a strong reminder to the region’s 3,128,562 registered voters: defend your vote against all forms of manipulation, especially vote-buying, vote-selling, and the misuse of government resources.
Regional Director Juan Jovian Ingeniero, in a public advisory released on May 5, emphasized that these electoral violations are “threats to democracy” and called on the public to report violators to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) or the nearest law enforcement office.
“Protect your votes. Vote-buying, vote-selling, and abuse of government resources are serious election offenses. We must all stand for honest, fair, and accountable elections,” Ingeniero stated, citing provisions of Comelec Resolution No. 11104 which outlines intensified safeguards against these illegal acts.
The resolution defines vote-buying as any act of giving, offering, or promising money, goods, jobs, or any benefit to influence votes.
Vote-selling, meanwhile, includes soliciting or accepting such benefits in exchange for voting a particular way.
The resolution also lists presumptive acts of vote-buying, including mass distribution of cash or goods tied to campaign materials, house-to-house handouts, rigged community events like bingos and feeding programs, and the “hakot” system of mobilizing voters to receive inducements.
Particularly highlighted is the 10-day total ban — starting May 2 — on the distribution of all financial assistance or “ayuda” such as the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD), Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4PS), among others, with only medical and burial assistance allowed under strict guidelines.
If any ayuda is handed out by candidates or their supporters during this period, it may be presumed as vote-buying or abuse of state resources.
The DILG also warned that the misuse of state resources — ranging from government vehicles and public funds to undue participation of civil servants and police in campaigns — is prohibited.
Unauthorized construction projects and disbursements within 45 days before the election are likewise banned.
The department urged voters to stay vigilant and report offenders, as both givers and recipients of vote-buying or vote-selling are criminally liable under election laws.
“As citizens, we share the responsibility of safeguarding our democracy. Let’s refuse to sell our votes and hold those who try to buy them accountable,” the DILG-6 advisory stated./PN
