BRANDING widespread vote buying as a “big slap to our democracy,” Cebu City Councilor Pastor Alcover lamented on what appears to be a normal practice in the country’s election exercise.
Speaking during a privilege speech at the City Council’s regular session on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, Alcover expressed deep concern that the serious process of choosing public servants is increasingly being reduced to a mere “fiesta.”
He questioned whether the widespread practice of vote buying would ever truly end, expressing particular concern for the future of the next generation.
Alcover cited disheartening social media posts he had observed from netizens openly seeking “kamang,” from election candidates.
“Kamang” is a colloquial Cebuano term that refers to the practice of securing votes for a particular candidate, often through vote buying and typically carried out at the barangay or neighborhood level.
“Mura og dili na tingog sa demokrasya ang akong nabasahan (What I read no longer seems like the voice of democracy),” Alcover said. He warned that if left unchecked, the continuous practice of vote buying could ultimately “kill democracy.”
Quoting the Latin maxim “Vox populi, vox Dei” (the voice of the people is the voice of God), Alcover asserted that this voice is the very essence of democracy and is most powerfully heard during an election.
He expressed his joy at being among the elected officials, just nine days after the recent May elections.
Alcover also emphasized that public service can be rendered even by individuals not holding an electoral position.
Vote buying is a violation in electoral campaigns where a political party or candidate provides money, goods, services, or other resources to voters, expecting votes in return or abstention from voting for an opponent.
It can manifest in various ways beyond simple economic transactions, including direct monetary payments, essential goods or services, or promises of employment or benefits.
Alcover, an ally of Cebu City Mayor Raymond Garcia of the Kusug Party, affirmed his willingness to collaborate with Mayor-elect Nestor Archival’s incoming administration, stating that the welfare of Cebuanos should transcend political party affiliations. / JPS