Comelec urges public to continue reporting vote-buying, indecent remarks

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) urged the public to continue reporting vote-buying and vote-selling incidents as well as indecent remarks made by candidates on social media.

In an ambush interview on Friday, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia recognized the vital role social media plays in the midterm polls.

"I hope that our fellow countrymen continue to report incidents of vote-buying or illegal use of government aid or such violence or discrimination against our countrymen or some groups or sectors," Garcia said in Filipino.

"I hope that we can continue to put it on social media so more could see it," Garcia added.

The Comelec has so far received 63 reports of alleged vote-buying and abuse of state resources (ASR) nearly a month before the national and local elections.

Of the figure, 36 cases of alleged vote-buying and 32 cases of ASR were logged by the Comelec's Committee on Kontra Bigay as of 10 April.

Meanwhile, the Comelec has so far issued seven show-cause orders against local candidates.

The poll body first issued a show-cause order on 4 April against Pasig City lone district representative bet Ian Sia for his remarks on single mothers.

Sia received another show-cause order on 8 April over his remarks that appear to fat-shame his former assistant, also a woman.

On 7 April, the Comelec issued two show-cause orders against re-electionist Misamis Oriental Governor Peter Unabia and Mataas na Kahoy Vice Mayor and Batangas gubernatorial candidate Jay Ilagan.

Unabia was asked to explain why he should not be held liable after making a joke about a nursing scholarship that favors "beautiful women."

Ilagan, on the other hand, made remarks against rival former Batangas Representative Vilma Santos-Recto during a campaign rally. There, he said he is not afraid of the actress-turned-politician as she is already "laos" or no longer famous.

Provincial gubernatorial candidate Virgilio Bote is also being asked by the Comelec to explain his remarks during a campaign sortie for discriminating against a cancer-ridden candidate.

On Friday, 11 April, the poll body issued two separate show-cause orders: the first ordering a Silang, Cavite mayoral aspirant to explain his remarks telling solo parents he will give them partners through a raffle and claiming a grandmother gave him a torrid kiss during a campaign activity.

The second one, meanwhile, asked Palawan congressional candidate Abraham Mitra to explain his Facebook posts offering free movie tickets and showing up on screening day.