Comelec asks Hernandez couple, Teodoro couple to explain vote-buying complaints

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Committee on Kontra Bigay (CKB) has issued show cause orders (SCOs) against incumbent Laguna governor Ramil Hernandez and his wife, 2nd District Rep. Ruth Hernandez, over alleged vote-buying.

The order stemmed from a disqualification petition filed against the couple on April 30, accusing them of abuse of state resources (ASR) and vote-buying activities on several dates last month.

“In light of the foregoing, you are hereby ordered to show cause in writing within a non-extendible period of three days from receipt hereof and to explain why a complaint for election offense and/or a petition for disqualification should not be filed against you,” the SCO reads.

Ramil is running for Laguna second district representative, while his wife, Ruth, is vying to succeed her husband as Laguna governor.

According to the committee, the petitioners alleged that the staff of the Hernandez couple instructed several individuals to proceed to a certain office where health cards and yellow papers would be distributed. The cards supposedly had barcodes upon which they will receive P2,000.

On other dates, cards with corresponding QR codes and a yellow or blue paper were distributed with the instruction that they would be picked up by buses to be transported to various locations for supposed distribution of cash and food.

On other instances, upon boarding the bus, the attendees' cellphones were confiscated and stubs were given. Upon arrival at the venue, the Hernandez couple allegedly appeared and delivered campaign speeches before an envelope containing cash amounting to P2,000 and food were distributed. 

GMA News Online reached out to the Laguna governor for comment but has yet to respond.

Teodoros

Comelec CKB also issued SCOs against incumbent Marikina Mayor Marcy Teodoro and his wife, Marikina 1st District Rep. Maan Teodoro, over vote-buying and ASR allegations.

The committee said the SCO was lodged following a May 5 complaint against the Teodoro couple, accusing them of vote-buying and ASR when attendees were urged to vote for them during payouts of government assistance programs in various locations from April 28 to May 1.

The Marikina lawmaker, for their part, denied the allegations, which they claimed were “politically motivated.”

“There is absolutely no truth to the allegation of vote buying. The case filed against us is clearly politically motivated,” Rep. Maan Teodoro said in a social media post.

“The individual behind it is openly identified with our opponent, which speaks volumes about the intent. The timing, filed in the final stretch of the campaign, makes it apparent that this is a last resort to distract voters and derail our candidacy just days before the May 12 elections,” she said.

She also urged her constituents to not believe the allegations and said they remain focused on issues related to the city.

Stricter measures

In February, 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 Comelec said they 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. —VAL, GMA Integrated News

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