Manila: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has reported receiving 34 allegations of vote-buying and other illegal acts as the country approaches the May 12 midterm elections. These reports are raising concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.

According to Philippines News Agency, the reports consist of 23 instances of vote-buying and vote-selling, as well as 11 allegations of abuse of state resources. Comelec Commissioner Ernesto Maceda Jr. shared these details during a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing. Maceda indicated that the reports started coming in even before the official election period began.

Maceda, who leads the Comelec-Committee on Kontra Bigay, anticipates that the National Capital Region (NCR) will continue to have the highest number of vote-buying reports in the 2025 elections. He referenced the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), where Metro Manila recorded a notable number of vote-buying cases. Maceda speculated that this might be due to either a higher incidence of vote-buying or greater awareness among citizens regarding their rights.

The Omnibus Election Code defines vote-buying as giving, offering, or promising money or anything of value to influence someone to vote for or against a candidate. In the 2022 national elections, Comelec logged 1,226 vote-buying complaints. In contrast, 375 complaints were recorded during the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections.