BSK ELECTIONS | Vote buying still ‘widespread’ in 2023 barangay, SK elections

BSK ELECTIONS | Vote buying still ‘widespread’ in 2023 barangay, SK elections – poll watchdog

October 31, 2023 , 10:14 PM

By Clarist Zablan

(October 31, 2023) – Vote buying remained rampant during the conduct of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) this year, despite a decrease in the practice compared to the previous years, a poll watchdog said on Tuesday.

The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) said vote-buying in the country had progressed from acquiring votes from individuals to group acquisition that reached the level of the family and barangay.

“While still widespread, some decrease in scale and frequency of vote buying was observed owing to the efforts of Comelec’s (Commission on Elections) Committee on Kontra-Bigay, a committee convened especially to address vote buying and selling, and of which PPCRV is a member,” the organization said in a statement after the Monday elections.

PPCRV also observed some incidents of fake voters and poll watchers who were assisting voters and influencing votes at a precinct level.

“Some ballot secrecy folders were also observed to be shaded but were replaced by EBs (Electoral Boards) when brought to their attention by PPCRV volunteers,” the watchdog said.

Tens of millions of Filipino voters cast their votes for more than a million candidates, all who were vying for 672,000 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) posts across 42,000 barangays nationwide, during the BSKE on Monday.

The national police recorded 35 confirmed election-related incidents during the election season. Some 191 more incidents are also under verification.

On the election day itself, authorities reported six shooting incidents in the Bangsamoro region, killing at least five people and wounding 11 in the southern Philippine region.

Despite some incidents of violence, the COMELEC said the conduct of the recent elections was “generally peaceful.”
The PPCRV also observed the same, lauding the poll body and law enforcers in ensuring an orderly conduct of this year’s grassroots elections.

“Despite these isolated incidents of violence, elections were completed in all the barangays nationwide,” the PPCRV said.

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