Over 200 show-cause orders for vote-buying, ASR issued vs Eleksyon 2025 bets

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Committee on Kontra-Bigay (CKB) has issued more than 200 show-cause orders (SCOs) against national and local candidates for Eleksyon 2025 over alleged vote-buying, vote-selling and abuse of state resources (ASR).

On Tuesday, Commissioner Ernesto Maceda Jr., chairperson of the Committee on Kontra-Bigay, said a total of 213 SCOs were released as of Monday, April 28. Of the figures, 130 were related to alleged vote-buying and vote-selling, 67 were for ASR, and 16 were other complaints.

Most of the complaints include the distribution of cash, giving away of goods or anything with value, and ASR. Other reports were related to the use of posters in state-owned facilities and the use of state-owned vehicles and other properties and equipment for campaigning.

The regions with the highest number of complaints are: Calabarzon, Central Luzon, National Capital Region, Bicol Region, and Mimaropa Region.

“There have been complaints filed directly with the Law Department, the total number is 15. If you’re going to contrast that to other actions taken by the Comelec itself, motu proprio…I think were talking about the show-cause orders (SCOs). To date, the CKB has issued 53 SCOs from main and 21 SCOs issued by regional field offices, that is 74,” Maceda said.

According to the commissioner, the CKB have been receiving more complaints, of which, most cases involved local candidates.

“Noong 2023, lahat ng inakusahan na nag-violate ng aming mga bagong patakaran sa vote-buying, sinabi ng chairman at sinabi namin sa en banc, kapag kayo ay may pending na kaso, maaaring hindi kayo ma-proklama. Pinatunayan namin. May pangil ang ginagawa namin,” said Maceda Jr.

(We said in 2023 that will we not proclaim those with pending cases. We did that. We proved that the SCOs have merit.)

“If there’s a pending case against you and there’s a motion filed and there’s ground for the Commission en banc to decide that we will hold the proclamation and we’ve also proven that even those proclaimed, kapag matuloy at may finding na disqualfied kayo, hindi kami mag-aatubili na matanggal din kayo,” he said.

(If there’s a pending case against you and there’s a motion filed and there’s ground for the Commission en banc to decide that we will hold the proclamation, we will not think twice of doing it.)

Maceda Jr. added: “Sana pagdating sa elections, what we’re trying to do is to level the playing field. Patas-patas lang ho. That’s the essence of democracy. Kapag may vote-buying na ganito, hindi nagiging patas ang timbang.”

(We hope that this year’s elections, everyone will have equal chances. That’s what we’re doing with the SCOs because with vote-buying, there will be unequal chances for candidates.)

Stricter measures

In February, the Comelec said it will impose stricter measures to curb vote-buying, vote-selling and prevent the ASR for the May elections as it relaunched the committee mandated to address vote-buying and vote-selling. It also partnered with e-wallet applications such as GCash and Paymaya to address vote-buying via digital transactions.

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 constituted 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

Disqualification, election offense vs 2 bets

Meanwhile, Comelec Executive Director Teopisto Elnas Jr., head of Committee on Kontra Bigay, said the poll body is set to file disqualification and election offense charges against two candidates over alleged vote-buying. 

He, however, refused to name the 2025 Eleksyon bets. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News

For more Eleksyon 2025 related content and updates, visit GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2025 microsite.

For more Eleksyon 2025 related content and updates, visit GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2025 microsite.