By Atty. Roland Collado
Cagayan de Oro — We have one week more to go before heading up to our election precincts to exercise our righr of suffrage.
As an advocate of clean and honest election, I am giving this space to The PRESIDENTIAL ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION reminding everyone that under Batas Pambansa Blg. 881, Section 261(a), vote-buying and vote-selling are prohibited acts.
They are defined as follows:
Vote-buying
Any person; Who gives, offers or promises money or anything of value, gives or promises any office or employment, franchise or grant, public or private, or makes or offers to make an expenditure, directly or indirectly, or cause an expenditure to be made to any person, association, corporation, entity, or community; and The purpose of which is to induce anyone or the public in general to vote for or against any candidate (or withhold his vote in the election for yote for or against any aspirant for the nomination or choice of a candidate in a convention or similar process of a political party.
Vote-selling Any person, association, corporation, group or community; Solicits or receives, directly or indirectly, any expenditure or promise of any office or employment, public or private; and The purpose is to induce anyone or the public in general to vote for or against any candidate or withhold his vote in the election, or to vote for or against any aspirant for the nomination or choice of a candidate in a convention or similar selection process of a political party.
IMPOSABLE PENALTIES.
Any person found guilty of any election offense under this Code shall be punished with imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than six years and shall not be subject to probation. In addition, the guilty party shall be sentenced to suffer disqualification to hold public office and deprivation of the right of suffrage.
If he is a foreigner, he shall be sentenced to deportation which shall be enforced after the prison term has been served. Any political party found guilty shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than ten thousand pesos, which shall be imposed upon such party after criminal action has been instituted in which their corresponding officials have been found guilty. (Section 264, OEC) PACC urges everyone to refrain from selling your votes and vote in accordance with one’s conscience and preference, based on the candidate’s platform and dedication to lead this country to a better future.
Likewise, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is escalating its battle against vote-buying, authorizing warrantless arrests to combat the pervasive electoral malpractice that threatens the integrity of the democratic process.
This aggressive stance comes amid alarming public skepticism, as an OCTA Research survey reveals that 66 percent of registered Filipino voters anticipate widespread vote-buying, a practice defined under the Omnibus Election Code as offering money or anything of value to influence voters.
The OCTA Research underscores a national sentiment of distrust, particularly in the National Capital Region (NCR), where 69 out of every 100 voters fear electoral manipulation.
Vote-buying has long plagued Philippine elections, with 1,226 complaints filed during the 2022 national elections and 375 during the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls.
Ahead of the 2025 polls, massive reports of irregularities and related offenses have already surfaced, including cases of vote-buying and instances of state resource misuse.
In response, COMELEC launched “Kontra Bigay 2.0,” a permanent committee aimed at intensifying the crackdown on vote buying and vote selling. The commission also released guidelines against abuse of state resources (ASR) in the May 12, 2025 elections.
COMELEC Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia announced the permanent status of the Kontra Bigay task force, which operated during the 2022 elections. “This means we will monitor filed cases, handle prosecutions, and facilitate disqualifications,”
Garcia said, emphasizing a commitment to electoral integrity. The initiative empowers law enforcement agencies—including the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)—to conduct surveillance and validate reports.
COMELEC has defined specific actions constituting vote buying and vote selling, including the possession or distribution of money or goods to influence voters, and the unauthorized transport of over P500,000 along with campaign materials within two days before and on election day.
Garcia stressed the urgency of these measures, stating that individuals caught in the act can be arrested without a warrant. “Here, vote buying is presumed. It’s up to the offender to defend themselves,” he said, shifting the burden of proof.
Under the Omnibus Election Code, those found guilty face imprisonment from one to six years. Compla
