PPCRV on rampant vote buying: We're in a space of moral bankruptcy

For Catholic Church-backed poll watchdog Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), the system of buying and selling votes in the face of an automated election system puts moral values of Filipino voters into focus.

The issue on vote buying and vote selling has been reported by the Philippine National Police (PNP).

The PNP had concluded that, while there had been fewer instances of poll-related violence but it is the practice of vote buying and vote selling that continues to present itself as a major concern.

"Ang problema ngayon, parang we're in a space of moral bankruptcy, 'yun bang mga morals ng mga tao, hindi na kamukha noong araw," the PPCRV's co-founder and former Philippine Ambassador to the Vatican Henrietta "Tita" de Villa said.

In a live interview on State of the Nation with Jessica Soho, De Villa discussed possible solutions to address the rampant practice of vote buying and selling with Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesperson James Jimenez and National Citizen's Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) chairman Gus Lagman.

"Nakakalungkot, Jessica, kasi 'yung automated election system marami talaga don sa anomalya sa eleksyon 'yung dagdag bawas, yung mga ganon, talagang...mostly-eliminated. Pero ang vote buying...pati vote selling, ay talamak, lalong padami nang padami atsaka iba-ibang sistema na," De Villa said.

"Kaya parang hindi ma-control yon. at siguro, sabi ko nga, kailangan mapaliwanag sa mga tao, mapaalala sa kanila na krimen ito. Krimen na mahuli at sana mahuli ay puwede siyang makulong ng six years at hindi na siya puwedeng bumoto, [hindi na siya] puwedeng tumakbo for public office," she added. — Margaret Claire Layug/BAP, GMA News