Garcia says 29 pending vote-buying cases still in Comelec’s law dep’t
Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia. Senate PRIB photo / Bibo Nueva España
MANILA, Philippines — Commission on Elections (Comelec) chair George Garcia said on Thursday that 29 cases related to vote buying in the 2022 national and local elections are still pending.
Garcia disclosed the status of poll cases during an interview after the Senate subcommittee on finance’s hearing on its proposed P5.2-billion budget for 2023.
“Meron po tayong 29 na kaso na naka pending sa Comelec Law Department. Meron po tayong anim na kaso na naka file po sa iba’t ibang prosecutor office ng anim na lugar sa iba’t ibang parte ng Pilipinas,” Garcia said.
(We have 29 cases pending at the Comelec Law Department. In addition, we have six cases filed in different prosecutor offices in six places in other parts of the Philippines.)
Apart from these, he added that Comelec’s Task Force Kontra Bigay also recorded 1,000 complaints for the 2022 elections but were not “substantiated” due to lack of evidence or a formal complaint.
“Ang ibig sabihin, wala pong karadgagang ebidensya, wala pong formal na complaints. Hindi po siya titibay o hindi siya tatayo sa korte kahit sa issue na tinatawag na probable cause,” Garcia said.
(This means it did not have evidence nor formal complaints. Therefore, the person will not be confirmed or will not stand in court even on the issue called probable cause.)
“So hindi po ito naging isang tunay na kaso para mabigyan ng tamang atensyon at magkaroon ng tamang paglilitis,” he added.
(So this has not been a real case to be given proper attention and have a fair trial.)
According to Garcia, it’s high time for vote-buying to be redefined under the law, especially since it has been untouched since the country first implemented it in 1985.
“At dahil diyan marami na pong pangyayari mga bagong karanasan patungkol sa pamimili ng boto ay maaring hindi na po covered nitong Section 261 [of the Omnibus Election Code],” said Garcia.
(And because of that, there have been many incidents, and new experiences regarding vote buying may no longer be covered by Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code.)
“Kaya kinakailangan na maredefine ayusin natin ang tamang definition ng vote buying,” he added.
(It is necessary to redefine the correct definition of vote buying.)
He said this after he pushed for the amendment of the law against vote buying, which he tagged as the “modern cancer of our democratic way of life.”
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