Comelec verifying reports of alleged vote buying in Hong Kong

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced Monday that it has received reports of an alleged vote-buying incident during a campaign rally in Hong Kong.

In an ambush interview, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia stated that the poll body has yet to verify the credibility of the report.

"Allegedly, these are done to woo voters in Hong Kong to vote straight. But we still need to verify that because it may be fake news," Garcia said in a mix of Filipino and English.

According to the report, voters were allegedly offered HK$200 (approximately P1,400) to vote for a Senate slate.

"We'll see if it's true. But at this point, it's just raw information. It has no credibility yet and we're still considering it as fake news," Garcia said.

However, he assured the public that Comelec is coordinating with the Consulate General of the Philippines in Hong Kong to verify the report and gather more details.

Garcia also urged attendees of the political rally who were offered or given money to come forward.

"This will make our investigation easier," he added.