This cloud buying cases this monday election PhilippinesChoosing his next president from among other local and state positions, he chooses ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, as his favourite.
“They gave me 14,500 pesos (about 260 euros), a lot of money.. Allan Rosales, 31, told Efe over the phone: “I wasn’t expecting this. I can fix a few things I want in my house for a long time.”
Rosales (alias) speaks from the tourist island of Siargao in the south of the archipelago. have been bribed to vote for a particular mayoral candidateprefers not to disclose.
About 67 of the 108 million Filipinos were called to vote this Monday to elect those who hold presidential and vice-presidential positions in the archipelago. Over the next six years, 12 seats in the Senate, Congress, and multiple provincial and municipal positions.
This polls show clear victory for Marcosdespite her father’s legacy of looting and oppression, she is 33 percent ahead of her closest rival, Leni Robredo.
Marcos, the outgoing president, is presented alongside Sara Duterte-Carpio, daughter of the controversial Rodrigo Duterte, the favorite for the vice president position.
cash delivery
This handing over cash in exchange for votes is common practice in the Philippines and other Asian democracies, but the value of votes has increased this year compared to previous elections, according to the Legal Network for Clean Elections (LENS, its English acronym), a volunteer association that monitors and condemns abuse and fraud. during the elections.
Vote buying was a common practice in elections, but “as the electoral processes are digitized, more and more money is paid for votes,” Ona Rosales, coordinator of LENTE in Manila, told Efe. methods “are getting more and more complex.”
For example, The 260 euros that the Siargao resident claims to receive contrasts with the minimum wage in that part of the countryAt less than 320 pesos (5.83 euros) per day, the amount “donated” is therefore almost 50% higher than the monthly income of many workers.
While these applications occur with votes from all nominations, both for mayors, governors, and congressional candidates, as well as for presidential and presidential candidates, the frequency and payoff available to voters in local positions is significantly higher, says Rosales.
No impact data
The coordinator emphasizes that “no data on the impact of these bribes on the final outcome of the elections(their incidence) is much higher at the local level, because it is much easier for them to organize these meetings and conceal these practices”, explains Rosales.
The methods of bribing the final voters differ. Some candidates’ campaigns allocate a parallel budget to “convince” voters of each district at meetings held in their barangay (neighborhoods in Tagalog), where they are informed about the program and “almost always give an envelope”. with cash,” Rosales explains.
The captains of the barangay, the local authority in each neighborhood, are responsible for distributing gifts among the electorate.
“They gave me 500 pesos (about 9 euros), but I will not vote for the candidate who paid me.Efe Grace Matos (alias), 38, from Taguigli, Manila, says she believes there is no way to confirm which candidate she voted for today and doesn’t want to disclose it. that she.
However, at some of these meetings, a receipt is requested, in which money is given in envelopes, usually along with the ballot paper showing the candidate’s candidacy.
“We ask people to hide their cell phones and take a photo to confirm that they voted for our candidate.”, a campaigner for a vice-presidential candidate who chose not to be named, tells Efe.
Cell phones are not allowed in polling stations in the Philippines, but “there is no other way to check”, the same source, who admitted to buying a large number of votes in one area of Quezon a week before the election, adds. The city is the most populated area of the Manila metropolitan area.
Source: Informacion
