Manila: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has decided not to pursue the vote-buying complaint against Camille Villar, an administration senatorial candidate and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. The decision was communicated in a letter dated May 7, where Comelec's Committee on Kontra Bigay acknowledged Villar's explanation regarding her presence at a February event in Imus, Cavite, which involved the distribution of cash prizes to attendees.
According to Philippines News Agency, Teopisto Elnas, the vice chairman of the Committee on Kontra Bigay, expressed in the letter that Villar's response satisfactorily clarified the circumstances of the alleged vote-buying incident. Elnas stated that after evaluating the evidence, it was deemed insufficient to justify filing a complaint for an election offense or a petition for disqualification.
Elnas further noted that affidavits submitted to the committee confirmed that the event occurred on February 9, just before the official campaign period commenced on February 11 for candidates running in the May 12 midterm elections. He mentioned that the video of the event was only posted on social media on February 16, which was after the campaign period began.
The committee had initially issued a show-cause order to Villar last month following the circulation of the video online.