Comelec to impose stricter measures vs vote-buying, abuse of state resources

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will impose stricter measures to curb vote-buying, vote-selling and prevent the abuse of state resources (ASR) for Eleksyon 2025.

At the relaunching of the Committee on Kontra Bigay on Friday, Commissioner Ernesto Maceda Jr. said stronger mechanisms will be implemented to ensure the integrity of the upcoming elections and to prevent the “illict use of the state resources” during the campaign period.

“We introduced stronger safeguards, clearer regualtions, and stricter reinforcements and mechanisms. This will ensure that no candidates or party can subvert the will of the people, especially through the illicit use of the state resources,” said Maceda Jr..

The ASR refers to the misuse of government resources whether material, human, coercive, regulatory, budgetary, media-related, or legislative, for electoral advantage. This usually includes the use of government facilities and vehicles for campaign-related activity.

But Maceda said the Comelec will also presume ASR is committed if the disbursement of aid or subsidies came with campaign materials or with candidates and their family.

Also considered as ASR are the use of government-funded media platforms to promote a candidate, the unjustified revocation or selective granting of government assistance during the campaign period and the sudden surge in hiring of job orders or contract-based orders when engaged in partisan electoral activities.

“The Commission will not tolerate the abuse of state resources for electoral gain. We will not hesitate to disqualify, penalize and hold accountable any candidate in power who dares abuse our elections,” Maceda added.

The poll body earlier announced it will ban the distribution of all forms of cash assistance (ayuda) ten days ahead of the May elections. It also issued Resolution No. 11104 on Tuesday, which allows law enforcement personnel to arrest vote buyers and vote sellers without a warrant if they are caught in the act.

“Any law enforcement officer may, without a warrant, arrest a person when, in his or her presence, the person to be arrested has committed, is actually committing, or is attempting to commit the election offense of vote-buying and vote-selling or act constituting ASR (abuse of state resources),” the resolution reads.

Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia, for his part, called on the electorate to refrain from  selling their votes.

“Wag niyong tanggapin, wag niyong iboto, dahil kinabukasan ang binebenta ninyo,” said Garcia.

(Don’t accept vote buying efforts. Do not vote from them because you are selling your future.)

Previously launched as a task force, the Committee on Kontra Bigay was elevated into a committee or a permanent body mandated to address vote-buying, vote-selling and ASR. The commitee will also monitor and prosecute individuals in related cases. — BAP, GMA Integrated News

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