Comelec receives 63 vote-buying, ASR complaints

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has received 63 complaints of alleged vote-buying and abuse of state resources (ASR) as the 19 May elections draw near.

Commissioner Ernesto Maceda Jr., chairperson of the Committee on Kontra-Bigay, stated that most cases are from the National Capital Region, Region III, and Region IV-A.

The majority of reports involve money distribution, followed by rice, goods, groceries, and abuse of social assistance programs such as AKAP, AICS, TUPAD, and MAIC.

Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said they will coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to address alleged ASR cases and potential violations.

The Comelec is planning stricter measures against vote-buying and selling, including partnering with e-wallet applications like GCash and Paymaya to monitor digital transactions.