More than 200 candidates are now under scrutiny by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for possible election violations, as the agency ramps up efforts to crack down on vote buying and other forms of electoral misconduct.
As of 28 April, the Comelec’s Committee on Kontra Bigay has issued a total of 213 show cause orders (SCOs).
Of these, 130 are related to alleged vote buying and vote selling, while 67 involve the abuse of state resources (ASR). The remaining 16 cover other types of complaints.
Commissioner Ernesto Maceda Jr., who chairs the committee, said the regions with the highest number of vote buying allegations are Calabarzon, Central Luzon and Metro Manila.
Maceda admitted that the Comelec is feeling the pressure as reports continue to pour in. “We’re honestly overwhelmed by the number of SCOs we’ve had to issue for various potential violations,” he told reporters.
He noted that cash handouts remain the most common form of vote buying with 73 cases involving financial assistance. “The main method is still handing out cash or goods — anything of value, really. That’s how most vote buying happens,” Maceda said.
As for abuse of state resources, Maceda said the top complaint involves the misuse of government aid or ayuda.
“Next to that is the use of public spaces for campaign materials — like posters in government buildings — and the use of government vehicles and equipment for campaign purposes,” he added.
Maceda also revealed that the Comelec is set to release eight more SCOs in the coming days.