Leni Robredo called on government forces to enforce laws against vote buying in the Philippines.
On Friday, presidential aspirant and Vice President Leni Robredo called on government forces to enforce laws against vote buying in the Philippines.
This, as Robredo noted that she’s a victim of vote buying herself.
Robredo fired back at her critics who kept on making a big deal of her statement about vote buying.
In a press conference, Robredo said that she is not condoning vote buying, but is only pointing out the “realities on the ground” that vote buying remains very rampant despite it being an offense against the Omnibus Election Code.
“Ito yung realities eh. Dapat ang pinoproblema natin, hindi yung statement ko. Ang problema natin ay kung pano mae-enforce yun [laws against vote buying],” Robredo told supporters and reporters in Sorsogon.
READ ALSO: COMELEC Says Leni Robredo Not Liable Over Comment On Vote Buying
Robredo also called on government forces to enforce laws against vote buying in the country, noting that she’s a victim of vote buying herself.
While stressing that vote buying was an illegal act, the Vice President told voters to take a more pragmatic approach of taking the money from politicians — which, Robredo said, could be taxpayer’s money anyway — but vote based on conscience.
Robredo also said that this could also serve as a lesson to politicians if they didn’t win the elections despite paying for votes, adding that it’s “easy” to say that one was against vote buying without considering other factors.
“Madali lang sabihin na kontra ako sa vote buying, pero yung pagkontra kasi kailangan i-situate. Kontra ako sa vote buying, pero bakit merong batas against sa vote buying pero bakit masyadong flagrant yung bilihan ng boto on the ground?” Robredo said.
On Thursday, Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Spokesperson James Jimenez said that Robredo wasn’t criminally liable over her recent comment regarding vote buying.
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