THE Philippine National Police (PNP) is working with the Commission on Elections to come up with mechanisms to counter vote-buying schemes through electronic fund transfer, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Guillermo Eleazar said on Monday, June 14, 2021.
Eleazar said they were not discounting the use of electronic wallets in buying votes.
“Hindi po malabong mangyari ito dahil nakagawian na rin po ang cashless transactions lalo ngayong may pandemya. Talagang maiisip ito ng mga taong nagplaplanong manghikayat sa publiko na ibenta ang kanilang boto,” Eleazar said.
“Monitoring vote-buying activities in the 2022 elections will really be a great challenge to us but I assure the voting public that we will put in place safeguards against this practice,” he added.
Vote-buying and vote-selling are election violations under Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code.
Eleazar urged the public to be vigilant and to report to authorities any vote-buying or selling activities.
“Tandaan din po natin na ang mga politikong bibili ng boto ay walang magandang hangarin para sa bayan at panay pansariling interes lamang ang pangangalagaan. Oras na makaupo ang mga ito ay tiyak na babawiin lang ang nagastos niya na ipinangbili ng inyong boto,” he said. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo / SunStar Philippines)