All Value Holdings Corp. President & CEO Camille Villar delivers her speech during the contract signing between ABS-CBN and ALLTV at the Brittany Hotel, Villar City, in Bacoor City on April 23, 2024.  Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has issued a Show Cause Order (SCO) against senatorial candidate Camille Villar due to a video of alleged vote-buying posted on social media. 

Comelec executive director Atty. Teopisto Elnas Jr., head of the Committee on Kontra Bigay (CKB) said, it received a complaint against Villar on Monday, April 21 from an anonymous complainant.

#ELEXplain: Iba't ibang uri ng vote buying 

"The Committee on Kontra Bigay received the anonymous complaint yesterday. We want to show that we are serious in addressing these acts," said Elnas.  

According to Elnas, a video link of an event in Cavite which was posted on social media last February 12 was sent to them. 

"In an event in Bgy. Buhay na Tubig, the presence of senatorial candidate Camille Villar was there," Elnas told reporters. 

In the video, Villar was seen standing at the stage together with local candidates in Cavite while a female "winner" of the event was receiving money, which Comelec believes was a cash prize and could be consider as a form of vote-buying. 

"She was there at the stage during the activity and it happened within the campaign period. Someone is giving away money and there are those receiving money on that event," said Elnas.  

Elnas said Villar will be given three days upon the receipt of the order to explain her side. 

"We will investigate further all the angles and circumstances and make the recommendation to the Comelec en banc on which action to take," according to Elnas. 

Comelec receives 63 complaints on alleged vote-buying, abuse of state resources 

Elnas said Villar is the first national candidate subjected to a Show Cause Order by the committee tasked to police vote buying activities.  

In a statement sent to media, Villar said she has yet to receive the Comelec order. 

Villar explained the event in the video happened before the start of the official campaign period. 

"First, as of today, I am yet to receive a Show Cause Order from the COMELEC. Second, the event referred to happened last February 9, 2025, which was way before the campaign period," Villar said in a statement. 

"Third, I vehemently deny any allegation or insinuation of vote buying or commission of any election offense for that matter," Villar added. 

Villar said she is confident that the poll body will clear her name of any wrongful doings.