Spike in mobile phone sales due to vote-buying? Comelec awaits NTC report

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is waiting for the National Telecommunications Commission’s (NTC) report on the alleged increase in phone sales in some areas of the country supposedly driven by vote-buying.

Comelec acting spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said the poll body is in close coordination with the NTC regarding the matter.

“Hintayin namin ang official report nila regarding this and we will make a follow through in case NTC deems the matter to be a subject of investigation,” Laudiangco said in a press briefing.

(We will for the NTC’s official report regarding this and we will make a follow up on the the case if NTC deems the matter to be a subject of investigation.)

However, Laudiangco, a lawyer, clarified that an escalation of purchases in mobile phones “does not automatically mean anomaly or crimes.”

“In fact, hindi nga po krimen eh. Kung ganyan kasi na mayroong pagbabawal sa escalation ng purchases, dapat maging krimen,” Laudiangco said.

(In fact, it’s not a crime. If there is a prohibition on the escalation of purchases, then it becomes a crime.)

An Inquirer report stated that many popular mobile phone brands were sold out in the three shopping malls in Agusan del Sur following the elections.

The buyers were apparently “openly joking about their windfall from the vote-buying spree involving some politicians running for congressional and provincial posts”, according to the report.

READ: ‘Vote-buying’ spree drives mobile phone sales

Comelec commissioner Aimee Ferolino on Saturday said the Comelec’s law department has received a total of 73 complaints, of which 53 were acted upon, 12 were docketed and the rest are under evaluation.

Apart from that, the inter-agency Task Force Kontra Bigay have received, through its Facebook page, 913 messages concerning vote-buying incidents, as well as 164 e-mails.

However, out of these, only 88 were valid reports that have been lodged officially, of which 49 have supporting evidence.

READ: Comelec says it has ‘acted upon’ 53 complaints of vote-buying