LANAO DEL NORTE, Philippines – Vote buying emerged as a major concern during a forum in Iligan City, where participants highlighted the challenges in addressing the illegal practice due to the culture of violence.
Commission on Elections (Comelec) Iligan City election officer Anna Liza Barredo highlighted that while many complain about vote buying, very few take the necessary steps to file formal complaints.
“Maraming reklamo, pero wala namang nagsasampa ng kaso. Kaya, kung i-scrutinize mo doon sa mga jurisprudence, wala masyadong na-co-convict for vote buying,” Barredo said during Rappler’s #AmbagNatin roadshow at the Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) on Monday, December 9.
(There are many complaints, but no one files a case. That’s why, if you scrutinize the jurisprudence, there are very few convictions for vote buying.)
Barredo explained that the few cases filed also fail to prosper due to the lack of witnesses willing to come forward during investigations.
“Kasi, in reality, kung meron talagang matapang na nag-file ng kaso, during proceedings, wala nang witnesses na nag-appear. So mahirap mong ma-convict ang inaakusa na wala namang witness,” she added.
(In reality, even if someone brave enough files a case, during the proceedings, no witnesses appear. So it’s difficult to convict the accused without any witnesses.)
Cultural barriers to speaking up
Institute for Peace and Development in Mindanao director Mark Anthony Torres emphasized that cultural factors contribute to the lack of action against vote buying.
“Even though we know something is very difficult or challenging us, we don’t articulate it because our levels of assertiveness are very low. That’s something very cultural,” he said.
Torres stressed the importance of creating a support system for individuals willing to stand up for what is right, as they often face backlash.
“It’s important to provide a supportive environment so that even if you participate online and get bashed for your comments, you have a space for support. That’s something very important,” he added.
Meanwhile, MSU-IIT political science professor John Gieveson Iglupas pointed to violence and the lack of ballot secrecy in areas like Lanao del Norte as significant barriers to reporting vote buying.
Iglupas explained that in some areas, the secrecy of ballots is compromised because politicians have people monitoring individual votes.
“In Lanao del Norte, in order for you to win, you need these four — guns, goons, gold, and genealogy,” Iglupas said.
Barredo also discussed how hopelessness, driven by intergenerational trauma, affects voter behavior during elections.
“For example, when people accept money during elections, it becomes normalized because of the levels of hopelessness. Even after the third generation, you see the impact of trauma, and one of its manifestations is hopelessness,” she said.
In a 2019 piece, election lawyer Emil Marañon III said no one has been jailed or disqualified for vote buying because while the Comelec executes election laws, the effective enforcement of these laws “equally depends on our law enforcement agencies and the active participation of our citizenry.”
Vote buying was also one of the key issues raised during the #AmbagNatin roadshows held in Iloilo and Batangas. – Rappler.com