Pimentel urges Comelec to probe vote-buying claims

Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to investigate alleged massive vote-buying during the 2022 national and local elections.

Pimentel stated that vote-buying might have been used to facilitate computerized-assisted fraud, a possibility Comelec should examine.

He cited receiving information from various regions, accompanied by photographic evidence of money attached to sample ballots and leaflets, indicating the prevalence of the practice.

Election Commissioner George Erwin M. Garcia stated that Comelec will pursue candidates involved in vote-buying, even if they have already been proclaimed winners.

Garcia mentioned that Comelec has received over a thousand complaints related to vote-buying.

Acknowledging the difficulty in formalizing complaints, Pimentel stressed that Comelec, as the guardian of election integrity, has a duty to investigate these reports.

The senator suggested Comelec call witnesses, document cases, and compile reports to identify patterns, which could inform future legislative proposals or Comelec regulations to combat vote-buying.