THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has tapped the assistance of other law enforcements agencies, including the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLAC), in tracking down electronic form of vote buying.
This, as the Comelec launched on Thursday, September 21, the Regional Committee on Kontra-Bigay aimed to eradicate, if not minimized, vote buying activities during elections, including in the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) on October 30, this year.
Lawyer Wilfred Jay Balisado, Comelec regional director, said although it is difficult to monitor vote-buying through on-line transactions with the advent of technology, but with the help of BSP and Anti-Money Laundering Council (Amlac) such transactions may be minimized.
However, Balisado admitted that it is difficult to immediately eliminate vote buying and vote selling as it is already a “cancer in our society.”
“Hopefully with our concerted effort, at least, vote buying and vote selling will be minimized in these coming elections (BSKE),” Balisado said.
Police Brigadier General Bowenn Joey Masauding, Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula director, said they will task its intelligence community in helping the Comelec track down vote buying and vote selling activities in the region.
The committee also discussed the other ways aside from the electronic form of vote-buying and vote-selling during the launch of the Kontra-Bigay committee.
Balisado said they will conduct voters’ education campaign, especially the young ones, that there is no pride in accepting money during elections since it is not right and morale.
“We have to educate the people that vote-buying and vote-selling is shameful…that it is not the way of life during elections,” he said.
Meanwhile, the other law enforcement agencies of the government and the education sector have pledged to help Comelec in its campaign against vote-buying and vote-selling during the launching of the Regional Committee on Konta-Bigay at Camp Colonole Romeo Abendan, Zamboanga City.
The composition of the committee are as follows: Comelec; Department of Education; PRO-Zamboanga Peninsula; Division or Brigade commander of the military; National Bureau of Investigation; Regional State Prosecutor; and representative of regional chapter of citizen’s arm of the Comelec.
Similar committee will be also activated in the provincial, city and municipal levels. (SunStar Zamboanga)
