VICE President Leni Robredo clarified Wednesday, October 27, 2021, that she is against vote buying, but she is also aware that laws in relation to it are hardly being enforced.
Robredo, who is running for president in the 2022 elections, drew flak after telling the public Tuesday, October 26, to accept money offered by politicians in exchange for their vote.
READ: Robredo on vote buying: Accept money but vote based on conscience
In a press conference in Naga City, Robredo said she recognizes that vote buying is illegal, but in reality, the laws are hardly being enforced.
“Aware tayo sa nasa batas, hindi tayo masaya na hindi ito nae-enforce, pero dapat bukas ‘yong mata natin sa realities on the ground. Bukas ‘yong mata natin sa realities on the ground kung hindi maayos ‘yong enforcement, ano ba ‘yong gagawin natin?” she said.
(We are aware of the laws and we are not happy that it is not being enforced, but we must also be open to what’s really happening on the ground. We know what is happening in reality, so what should we do then?)
“Ang dapat na ginagawa natin, na kahit may tumatanggap, dapat hindi susundan ‘yong boto na parang meron kang utang na loob sa nagbigay,” she added.
(What we should be doing is not to vote because we feel like we owe the politicians who gave us money in exchange for our vote.)
Robredo cited her personal experience about vote buying when she filed a case against certain individuals in 2013.
She said the case was dismissed despite the strong evidence they provided to the prosecutor’s office.
“In fact, kahit dito sa atin, very rampant ang vote buying, ‘yong frustrating sa lahat dito kasi hindi maayos ‘yong pag-implement ng regulations against vote buying,” said Robredo.
(In fact, even here in Naga City, vote buying is very rampant. What is frustrating is that the implementation of regulations against vote buying here is not good.)
“In fact, dahil hindi maayos ‘yong ‘pag police natin against vote buying, ‘yong mga volunteers natin, ‘yon na ‘yong gumagawa ng paraan ‘pag meron tayong na-iidentify na alleged vote buyer, ‘yong ginagawa ng mga volunteers binabantayan na ‘yong mga bahay nila para hindi maka-buwelo,” she added.
(Because of poor implementation, our volunteers are the ones thinking of ways to identify the alleged vote buyer. They guard houses of our voters to avoid vote buying.)
Robredo, in a virtual conference with a group of supporters on Tuesday, October 26, said the public should accept money from politicians but they should still vote for their preferred candidates.
She said the money being used for vote buying is most likely public funds.
Robredo said people engaged in vote buying are hardly being punished but they also do not have the ways to know if those who accepted bribes truly voted for them.
She said her statement was taken without the proper context.
“Marami ‘yong nagrepost no’ng sagot ko do’n pero ‘yong iba kasi walang context. ‘Yong sinabi ko kahapon na vote buying mali ‘yon, ‘yong vote buying mali ‘yon pero over the years, very rampant siya dito sa atin,” she said.
(Many have been reposting my answer to the question Tuesday, but many were taken without context. What I said yesterday was vote buying is wrong, but over the years, it is very rampant here in Naga City.) (SunStar Philippines)