Election watchdog welcomed the anti-vote buying campaign of the Commission on Elections — Kontra Bigay — which promises a holistic approach to a scourge in Philippine democracy. But the campaign also raises concerns about potential abuses in the implementation, especially against poor Filipino voters.
Legal Network for Truthful Elections Executive Director Rona Ann Caritos said there should be guarantees that the Comelec campaign will not end up targeting poor Filipinos. Former Comelec commissioner Luie Guia said the campaign should focus on the buyers or principals and how they are financing vote buying operations.
If it is done right during the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections on October 30, election watchdogs said Kontra Bigay can become a template for future elections.
This is one of 10 priority concerns that poll watchdogs identified during a recent roundtable with PCIJ.
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— PCIJ, October 2023