Dela Rosa gave his take on the issue of “vote buying” in the Philippines.
Presidential aspirant Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa recently gave his take on the issue of “vote buying” in the Philippines.
In a statement, Dela Rosa said that vote buying was “illegal and immoral”.
Dela Rosa said that receiving the bribe money was already engaging in vote buying, which was a violation of the law. He also said that accepting the bribe money and voting with conscience, which was “voting for another candidate other than the bribing candidate”, was akin to “estafa”.
“The better advice is not to accept the money and report the vote buyer directly to the police,” Dela Rosa said.
READ ALSO: COMELEC Spox Disagrees With Leni Robredo’s Remark On Vote Buying
Arguments on vote buying were raised after presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo said that voters who were offered money in exchange for their vote should take the money but vote for their preferred candidate.
Robredo had since clarified her remark, saying last Wednesday that she never condoned it and was just pointing out realities on the ground.
Apart from Dela Rosa and Robredo, other presidential aspirants namely Senator Panfilo Lacson, Leody de Guzman, and Senator Manny Pacquiao issued separate statements on vote buying.
Commission on Elections (COMELEC) spokesperson James Jimenez maintained last Wednesday that vote buying was still an election offense “regardless of financial situation or noble intentions”.
“I disagree with the notion of taking the money and voting according to your conscience,” Jimenez said in a Twitter post. “Di dapat ginagawa, at di dapat sina-suggest yan sa mga botante.”
Vote selling and vote buying were considered as election offenses under Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code.
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Why we are passing the burden to the voters, Candidates should never offer money to Voters in the first place. Bakit naman ginagapang ang mga botante at bigyan ng pera at lista? I’m sorry but this is a SAD reality on the ground. What the election officials are doing?
Taking the money without voting the buyer is indeed a SCARY THING to happen it will just put in vain the billions the vote buyers. The best thing to do is DO NOT PRACTICE VOTE BUYING so that everybody is on the SAME PLAYING FIELD. A very SIMPLE but POWERFUL DETERRENCE for Vote Buyers. That’s the WISDOM in it.