LENTE logs almost 100 vote-buying cases for Eleksyon 2025

Almost 100 vote-buying cases were recorded for the 2025 local and national elections, the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) said on Sunday.

In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, LENTE executive director Atty. Rona Ann Caritos said vote buying was reported from barangay halls, voters' homes, to last-minute assemblies.

LIVE sa DZBB: Atty. Rona Ann Caritos, Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) executive director kaugnay ng #Eleksyon2025.

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— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) May 11, 2025

“Dapat maging mapagmatyag tayo dahil ito ang last-ditch effort ng ating mga kandidato na makasiguro ng boto at panalo bukas,” Cartitos said.

(I urged the public to be cautious because this is the last-ditch effort of candidates to secure a vote and chances of winning.)

She also noted that the number of reported vote-buying cases escalated on Friday evening.

Caritos said vote buying is a “big” problem in the Philippines, which is more rampant among local bets than national candidates.

“Parte pa rin ng pag monitor ng vote buying kahit pagkatapod ng election kasi hindi lang naman yan nangyayari bago at sa araw ng halalan. Nangyaysri rin po yan pagkatapos,” Caritos said.

(Vote buying is still part of our monitoring even after the elections because it doesn't just happen before and on election day. It also happens afterwards.)

Based on the reports LENTE received, 70% comprised vote buying while 30% was composed of the abuse of state resources.

“Ang vote buying ay malaking problema. Ang (abuse) state resource malaking problema pero ang tao, ang pagtanggap nila sa state resources o paggamit ng resources ng gobyerno, parang advantage ng incumbent, na parte yan ng election,” Caritos said.

(Vote buying is a significant problem. The abuse of state resources is a big problem. But the way people see it, receiving state resources or the utilization of government resources is an advantage of an incumbent official, and that it is part of the elections.)

She noted that candidates joining the distribution of social welfare program payouts during the campaign period is considered abuse of state resources.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) earlier said that its Committee on Kontra Bigay received over 400 reports of vote-buying, vote-selling, and abuse of state resources for Eleksyon 2025. —RF, GMA Integrated News

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