Comelec may limit amount of poll freebies

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes: Prosecution against vote-buying must be based on evidence. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is considering setting an allowable threshold amount for campaign giveaways following reports that candidates have been giving away freebies during campaign activities.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said the poll body would determine which electoral propaganda materials could be considered as giveaways and which as vote-buying.

“In a sense, it becomes vote-buying if it reaches a certain amount,” he said.

He said he would take up the issue with the commission en banc on Tuesday.

Brillantes explained that an old rule banning giveaways had been revoked.

“We will come out with a threshold. There’s something wrong with it, definitely, if you’re giving out cell phones. If it’s a Matchbox car, that’s one thing. But if the car is big, that’s vote-buying. In the case of expensive cell phone brands, the Comelec can call a hearing on its own initiative,” he said.

Brillantes was reacting to reports that a candidate for councilor in Valenzuela City, Martell Soledad of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), had given away cell phones during a proclamation rally last Sunday.

No price ceiling

Last week, UNA also accused the administration-allied Kaya Natin Movement of vote-buying for distributing Mercury Drug and National Bookstore gift certificates worth P500 and P1,000 in Quezon City.

While there is still no “price ceiling” set on giveaways, Brillantes said he would encourage concerned parties to file complaints before the poll body.

He stressed that the prosecution against vote-buying must be based on evidence.

“If nobody complains, we will have no time to gather evidence. So it’s really up to the complainant,” he said.

Asked whether a nonpolitical party or noncandidate, like Kaya Natin, can be charged with vote-buying, Brillantes said yes.

“Vote-buying is not limited to candidates and political parties. It covers anybody, including supporters, if the purpose is really to influence one or the other,” he said.