PNP expects more vote buying incidents

May 13, 2019

The Philippine National Police ( PNP) are expecting more vote buying incident even after the Election Day.

“We expect that until the end of voting there will still be (vote buying)… Some are being paid after or will pay you after showing proof that you voted for them” Police General Oscar Albayalde, the PNP chief, said in a press conference.

As of 1 pm, PNP recorded 120 vote buying incidents with 302 violators

The highest number of violators are still in Metro Manila at 155 followed by Calabarzon and Central Luzon at 31; 16 violators in Bicol region; 10 in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao and SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City); eight in Western Visayas; seven in Ilocos Region and Eastern Visayas; six in Zamboanga Peninsula; five in Central Visayas and Caraga; three in Mimaropa; and two violators in Cordillera region, Northern Mindanao, Davao region, and Cagayan.

“Actually vote buying does not only happen before. It can happen during and even after. They have style there that after voting they will get the money, this is till part of vote buying,” Albayalde said in an earlier press conference.

He reiterated receiving reports of vote buying but he said some were found not true after validation.

With these reports, Albayalde said Filipinos are educated enough not to support this illegal activity.

“We are only counting vote buying incidents now because before (we only received) several reports,” he said.

“That’s one factor probably that Filipinos are now reporting alleged vote buying,” he added.

The PNP chief said it will be up to the Commission on Election and Department of Interior and Local Government to decide if candidates found doing vote buying will be disqualified or suspended. Ella Dionisio/DMS