Comelec and Navotas City Police Apprehend Over 200 Individuals Caught in Vote Buying and Selling Operation
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) and Navotas City Police caught over 200 individuals in an alleged vote buying and selling operation.
According to a report from the Navotas City Police forwarded to Comelec Chairman George Garcia, at around 11 a.m. on Wednesday (October 26, 2023), the police, in cooperation with Comelec-Navotas led by Election Officer Atty. Gregorio Bonifacio conducted an operation known as ‘Operation Kontra Bigay’.
The operation was conducted at a sardine warehouse located on Policarpio Street, M. Naval, Brgy. San Jose in the city. Around 200 registered voters from Brgy. Longos, Malabon, were found both inside and outside the warehouse, allegedly undergoing “watchers training.”
A certain Maribel Policarpio was caught distributing envelopes containing sums of money ranging from P300 to P500 to the attendees during the training.
The involved individuals claimed that they were just conducting training for future election watchers, yet, they could not provide a clear explanation for the distribution of money.
Currently, Comelec has not provided information regarding the political party or specific candidates connected to the incident. The commission is actively cooperating with local police in an ongoing investigation.
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Here are some of the comments:
Vote buying, a common and stealthy practice, has long been a thorn in the side of democratic countries worldwide. Individuals are offered money, goods, or favors in return for their votes, which is an unethical act that destroys the basic concepts of democracy, fairness, and political responsibility.
Vote buying is the act of attempting to influence the outcome of an election or a political decision by providing incentives to voters in exchange for their votes.
These incentives can take various forms, including cash payments, gift cards, food, or even promises of future benefits. The practice is often discreet, carried out away from the public eye to evade legal consequences.