MANILA — A candidate does not have to give cash to liable for vote-buying, the Commission on Elections said, adding even promising favors can be considered an election violation.

This was according to Comelec Chairman George Garcia in an ambush interview on Friday after the commission’s Committee on Kontra Bigay (CKB) issued a show-cause order to a Palawan congressional bet for alleged vote-buying through sponsoring a block screening of a movie.

“Hindi naman po kinakailangang may ipapakain o iaabot, kahit pa nga po pangako lang, pangako lang ang nakalagay sa batas ay vote-buying na. Yung pamimigay ng free tickets o free movie eh may bayad po yun diba and therefore, that is tantamount to vote-buying,” according to Garcia. 

(They don't have to hand out food or money. Even just a promise can, under the law, be considered vote-buying. Giving out free tickets or sponsoring a free movie still has a cost, right? And therefore, that is tantamount to vote-buying)

Garcia clarified a show-cause order is not yet a formal case against a candidate but an opportunity for them to explain their side.

ALBUERA ELECTION-RELATED VIOLENCE

Meanwhile, the poll chief believes, any violence during the election period involving a candidate is a clear election-related incident (ERI).

What happened to a local candidate in Albuera, Leyte according to Garcia is most likely election related.

“Kapag kasi kandidato ang nasugatan o nasaktan,wala tayong ibang conclusion diyan kundi election violence yan. Nakakalungkot, sapagkat hindi naman natin classified as red category area yung Albuera, Leyte,” Garcia explained.

(When a candidate is injured, we can have no other conclusion than that it is election violence. It is saddening because Albuera, Leyte was not considered a "red category area")

“Regardless of the personalities involved, we have to condemn to the strongest possible terms itong insidente na ito. Bagamat siya po ay sugatan pa lamang, ito pa rin po ay violence,” Garcia added.

(We have to condemn this incident in the strongest terms possible. Even if the candidate was only injured, it is still violence)

Garcia also called on the Philippine National Police to arrest the perpetrators of the attack to allay fears of election-related violence that voters may have.

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