This Monday election cycle in the Philippines centers on choosing the next president along with other local and state positions. The name gaining traction is Bongbong Marcos, son of the late Ferdinand Marcos, and he sits as the favored candidate in many viewpoints.
During interviews, a 31-year-old voter, Allan Rosales, described receiving 14,500 pesos, roughly 260 euros, as compensation for support. He said the payout could help repair his home and cover long-standing needs. Rosales, who spoke from the tourist island of Siargao, preferred not to disclose his full name as he explained his stance on the mayoral race was bought with money.
About 67 of the archipelago’s 108 million residents were called to the polls on Monday to select a president and vice president, along with 12 seats in the Senate, Congress, and various provincial and municipal roles for the next six years.
Polls suggested a clear lead for Marcos, with the former president positioned as a strong contender despite her father’s controversial history of corruption and oppression. She stood about 33 percent ahead of her nearest rival, Leni Robredo. Marcos is running with Sara Duterte-Carpio, the daughter of a controversial former president, in the race for the vice presidency.
cash delivery
Direct cash handouts in exchange for votes continue to crop up in the Philippines and other parts of Asia, though the perceived value of votes has risen compared with previous elections, according to the Legal Network for Clean Elections, a volunteer group that monitors and condemns abuses during campaigns. The organization reports ongoing abuses during the electoral period.
As electoral processes digitize, observers note that payment for votes has grown more sophisticated and frequent. A coordinator for LENTE in Manila described the trend to EFE as increasingly complex, with payments and arrangements becoming harder to trace.
For instance, the reported sum of 260 euros seen in Siargao dwarfs the local daily wage. In that region, earnings are around 320 pesos per day, so the cash gifted to voters translates to nearly half a month’s income for many workers. This discrepancy highlights the tension between campaign spending and typical livelihoods.
These practices span the contests for mayors, governors, congressional seats, and the presidential race. However, the economies of scale for local positions often yield higher cash incentives and more frequent distribution, according to Rosales.
No impact data
The coordinator emphasizes there is little data on how such bribes influence the final results. Local strategies tend to be easier to organize and to conceal, making it tough to quantify impact.
Bribe strategies vary. Campaigns may allocate a separate budget to persuade residents at barangay meetings where officials outline programs and typically hand out envelopes containing cash or gifts. Barangay captains, the local authorities in districts, play a central role in dispersing these incentives to voters.
A respondent from Taguig, Grace Matos, described receiving 500 pesos but stated she would not disclose whom she voted for. She indicated there is no reliable way to verify individual voting choices in the moment. In some sessions, voters are asked to conceal their ballots and are photographed to confirm their support for a given candidate.
Field staff sometimes restrict mobile phone use at polling sites to prevent capturing and sharing of ballots, though some admit to methods that involve large-scale vote purchases within a specific area. Quezon City, part of the Manila metropolitan region, has been mentioned in such discussions as a focal point for these activities.