Kontra Daya dares Comelec to go after bets in vote-buying

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) should go after the "big fish" or politicians involved in vote-buying, a poll watchdog said Tuesday.

While Kontra Daya convenor Professor Danilo Arao welcomed Comelec's move to investigate the incidents of vote-buying even without formal complaints, the poll watchdog emphasized that there is a need for a test case where politicians involved will be arrested and prosecuted.

He argued that Comelec should have done these motu propio investigations against individuals involved in vote-buying long ago as the poll body has a quasi-judicial function.

"We need to have a sample. Kumbaga sa wikang Filipino, may kailangan ma-sampolan doon sa ganitong klaseng practice ng vote buying," Arao said in an interview with GMA News Online.

(We need to have a sample. As what Filipinos say, there should be a test case in going after those involved in vote buying.)

"We hope that the Comelec will be able to catch one of the big fishes and by big fish we mean, arrest or prosecute certain candidates," he added.

Through the years, Arao said there have been cases of arrest but usually, these are supporters of certain candidates or political parties.

"So this time, we hope that there would be complaints against certain candidates and media reports have already pointed to certain governors and certain local officials, engaged in vote buying. They even do it in broad daylight. So there's more than enough evidence to pin certain candidates. So I hope that  the Comelec will really do its job," he added.

Several incidents were reported where local officials were seen giving away money which are said to be cash prizes and financial aid to attendees of campaign rallies.

These reports include the incidents in Nueva Ecija where white envelopes containing P500 were distributed outside Governor Aurelio Umali's residence after the campaign rally of presidential candidate Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and in Cavite where Governor Jonvic Remulla was seen  giving away cash prizes to those who joined a talent showdown during the campaign sortie of the same presidential bet.

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

The Comelec is also prohibiting the distribution of goods and items that are of value.

Arao also urged the newly-formed task force against vote-buying to do its job in apprehending those involved in vote-buying.

"I understand that they now have a task Force, I think it is called the Task Force Kontra Bigay, to crack the whip so to speak on those engaged in vote buying, vote selling and even on vote betting," he said.

"That would be good but as they say, the devil is in the details. So we hope that those who are members of that particular task force will really do their job and at this point," he added.

Recently, Comelec Commissioner George Garcia announced the creation of a task force against vote-buying.

The multi-agency task force will be joined by the Department of Justice, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, among others.

Arao urged the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms to disclose the information discussed during a closed-door briefing with the Comelec and system provider Smartmatic on the alleged serious security breach.

"Our call for the Senate, as well as for Comelec, and Smartmatic, is to be fully-transparent on what happened during the closed-door hearing because on one hand, certain senators like Marcos and Sotto would say that there was a serious breach," Arao said.

"They used the adjective "serious" to describe the breach but people are generally silent on what the breach is all about," he stressed.

The Kontra Daya convenor said the public must be informed about the extent of the alleged security breach, as well as the details of the hacking incident.

"Does it involve canvassing, transmission, hardware, software? Is it exclusive to the [vote counting machines] or the other devices to be used during the elections? What are the data that were supposedly contained in the laptop that to which a certain group had access, a certain third party had access? So this kind of information should be cleared to the people," Arao said.

"We cannot just simply dismiss the claims... that it is not true, but at the same time we cannot confirm it. So, why is it that we cannot decide on the veracity of the claim? It's because there is no information available to the public. So again our call is full transparency," he added.

Should this not be disclosed before the May 9 elections, Arao said Kontra Daya will "never tire" of calling for full transparency, noting that the 2022 national elections will "determine whatever is left of our democracy."

"This is the one of the most polarizing elections and in fact this it the most important, well in recent years, actually since 1946, you can even argue that this is the most important elections to be held because this will determine whatever is left of our democracy whether or not we will go to the quagmires of impunity and tyranny or we will see certain degree of restoration of you know our democratic institutions," he said.

"So if there is suspicion in the integrity of the elections by virtue of transparency that will not be good for our democracy. So it is not just the elections that we are talking about. It is also the very foundations of whatever is left of our democracy that is at stake here," he added.

The Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms is currently chaired by Senator Imee Marcos, the sister of presidential frontrunner Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.

Arao earlier called on Imee to resign as the chairperson of the Senate committee which investigates the alleged security breach, due to possible "conflict of interest" and out of "delicadeza."

He also called on other senators who are also running in the 2022 polls to inhibit from participating in the Senate probe.

"They cannot just say that they are just doing their job because they cannot separate their persona as a public official, as an elected official and as a candidate running in the 2022 polls," Arao said.

The Kontra Daya convenor said Imee's situation was "further exacerbated" by her participation in several videos wherein she "pokes fun" at a particular presidential candidate.

"You can argue that she did the videos in the spirit of fun or you know, just for the heck of it but again, she is doing that particular video to help prop up the candidacy of her brother. So if the brother will not engage in negative campaigning, perhaps she is the one who is doing that dirty job so to speak," Arao said.

"So therein lies the problem. So if the one doing the dirty job was part of the Senate Committee on electoral reforms what does that say of the you know, delicadeza and the fact that there is a clear conflict of interest in that particular situation. So that is why it is prudent more than ever for her to resign as chair of Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms," he added.—LDF, GMA News