QUEZON CITY (PIA) — The Commission on Elections reiterated its stance against vote buying and vote selling, urging Filipino voters to uphold the integrity of the electoral process.
During a voter education and automated counting machine demonstration at the Philippine Information Agency Central Office on March 3, Emma Lynn Masongsong of the Comelec Education and Information Department emphasized the long-term consequences of selling one’s vote for a small amount of money.
“Comelec is active in its campaign against vote buying and vote selling. We have a committee called the Committee on Kontra-Bigay. Our campaign is more intense now,” Masongsong said.
She highlighted that vote buying is desecration of the priceless right to suffrage. She asked voters to consider how much politicians are willing to spend to insult the voter.
“For example, 500 pesos. What can you buy with 500 pesos? Go to Jollibee, and it’s gone, right?” she said.
Masongsong illustrated the true worth of a vote over an elected official’s term. “For local elections, officials serve for three years. If you divide 500 pesos by the number of days in three years—1,095 days—how much is that per day? Less than a peso. That is an insult to voters.”
She urged the public to report incidents of vote buying to the Comelec, stressing that the practice undermines democracy and hinders progress.
Proper ballot marking
Aside from discouraging vote selling, Masongsong reminded voters to carefully mark ballots to avoid disqualification or mistakes.
“Make sure that you fully shade the ovals. The threshold is 25 percent, so even a small dot can be read by the machine as a vote. If you accidentally put a dot, it could result in an overvote, especially if only one candidate should be chosen for that position,” she said.
She advised voters to bring a prepared list of candidates to minimize errors when shading ballots.
Masongsong also emphasized checking ballots before voting.
“When the ballot is given to you, check if there is no shade or other writing, aside from the signature of the chairperson,” she said.
She warned voters not to check ballots only at the voting area, as existing marks or shading may be attributed to them.
“If you receive a ballot, check it immediately. If there’s a mark, report it right away. We cannot prove later that you were not the one who marked it,” she said.
With the 2025 National and Local Elections on May 12, Comelec continues its campaign to ensure a clean and fair voting process, urging Filipinos to vote wisely and responsibly. (AVS / PIA-NCR)
