Manila: Over 400 complaints of vote buying and abuse of state resources (ASR) have been reported ahead of the May 12 midterm elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) reported on Thursday.
According to Philippines News Agency, Comelec-Committee on Kontra-Bigay chairperson Commissioner Ernesto Maceda announced that a total of 439 vote buying and ASR complaints have been filed with the poll body as of May 8. Of these complaints, 268 were related to vote buying, 130 concerned ASR, and 41 involved both vote buying and ASR.
Maceda detailed that the most prevalent forms of vote buying reported included money distribution, cash assistance, and giving anything of value. In contrast, ASR acts were primarily in the form of "ayuda" or social welfare assistance.
"We are already approaching 450 total reports on vote buying and ASR," said Maceda during a media forum in Manila. "We will be evaluating and see if it merits the filing of an election offense and petition for disqualification."
In his remarks, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia emphasized their readiness to suspend the proclamation of winning candidates with pending disqualification cases. "In suspending proclamation, there must be strong evidence and not based on mere gossip," he stated. Garcia also noted, "We cannot suspend all of them because we also have to weigh in on the will of the voters."