I’m referring to the impassioned appeal by PNP chief, General Benjie Acorda to all Filipinos to help the government stop vote-buying and vote-selling on Monday’s Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections. I would also say It’s also time to really monitor GCash transactions as they really can be used to buy votes.

Stopping votebuying and selling is really a tall order for the PNP, the Commission on Elections, the Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Justice, the Department of Information and Communications and Technology, Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Anti-Money Laundering Council and all other concerned government agencies.

As many have clearly pointed out, it takes a ‘whole-of-nation approach’ to stop the age-old practice of people selling their votes to moneyed politicians starting from supposedly the smallest government unit which is the barangay.

I agree with many officials who said that there is a need to monitor GCash transactions to help fight vote-buying. Apart from going after the so-called ‘money trail’ or the real source of the money being used to buy votes and implementing an impractical ‘money ban’ or the unjustifiable carrying in public of more than P500,000 in small bills before and during the polls, the government really has to monitor mobile wallet transactions.

Some top security officials have told me there is a need to study GCash transactions days before and during the BSKE period compared to the transactions during the same period last year. It’s a sort of plotting the E-wallet transactions and giving them different categories like the election areas of concern.

During the last presidential and national elections, GCash, the mobile wallet used by some 55 million Filipinos released a statement that it would “tighten” its user verification process to help fight vote-buying.

The company issued the statement amid reports that during the 2019 mid-term polls, digital wallets like GCash and PayMaya were used to buy votes. Verified GCash account holders have higher transaction limits which allows them to keep and send larger amounts of money compared to non-verified users.

It also assured its commitment to promote responsible use of digital payment platforms, especially in the days leading up to the 2022 elections saying the company will ‘ensure that the digital products, platforms, and services offered are not misused for vote-buying, vote-selling and other illegal partisan political activities during the elections.” However, i still believe that concerned authorities did not really look into digital payment transactions before, during and after the May polls.

Today, even DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos had warned BSKE candidates against using electronic payment platforms to buy votes. The DILG chief revealed there are growing concerns over unscrupulous politicians planning to exploit e-payment systems like GCash and Maya to engage in vote-buying schemes.

“Do not even think about it. We will run after you and make sure you are punished for cheating. Candidates proven to have bought or will buy votes through e-payment platforms will be held accountable and we will work with Comelec to have them removed from office even if they win the count,” Sec. Abalos said.

However, the DILG-PNP really needs the help of e-payment companies in monitoring suspicious transactions during the BSKE and suspending dubious accounts. Without the help of GCash, PayMaya and the likes, it would really be impossible for the government to identify possible vote-buying thru e-payment.

Without the help of these giant companies and voters who are willing to testify against candidates trying to pay for their votes, it really would be impossible to arrest and prosecute violations of the Omnibus Election Code who faces lengthy jail terms and perpetual disqualification from running in future elections upon conviction.

By the way, I still clearly remember that during the 2019 mid-term elections, the PNP reported the seizure of some P12.2 million from vote-buying and selling incidents nationwide during the period.

For the record, the Police Regional Office 13 in Caraga region then headed by Brigadier Gen. Gilbert Cruz accounted for the biggest seizure with nearly P8 million confiscated from two mayoralty candidates. Recovered from the compounds of the two candidates apart from the thousands of envelopes containing small bills ready for distribution to voters were sample ballots.

The NCRPO arrested 136 suspects in vote-buying and selling during the period while the Northern Mindanao police force seized around P1.230 million about to be used to buy votes.

Gilbert Cruz retired with the rank of Major General and is now the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission Executive Director with the rank of Undersecretary.

To fully address this ‘cancer of the society,’ so-called Kontra-Bigay Complaint Centers have been established in different police stations where the public can report incidents of vote buying/selling.

Acts prohibited include the possession and distribution of money, cards, or campaign paraphernalia that have value, possession or transport of cash exceeding P500,000 five days before election day, among others. Violators, once proven guilty, may be sentenced to at least one-year imprisonment or a maximum period of six years.

Complaints can be forwarded to the assistance centers or Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. Gen. Acorda also congratulated the NCRPO headed by Brigadier Gen. Tateng Nartatez for apprehending suspects in vote-buying/selling in Navotas City last Wednesday.

Arrested inside the Mega Sardines warehouse was a woman accused of trying to buy for P300 the votes of around 200 local residents. The woman is now facing charges for violation of the Omnibus Election Code.

Gen. Acorda said that it would really be hard to stop vote-buying and vote-selling but it can be done with the full cooperation of all Filipinos. “If you ask me about this offer of money, alam kong mahirap din ang buhay lalo na yung walang means of livelihood. Pero if only lahat tayo hindi nabibili, baka pati kaming pulis ay mawalan na ng trabaho, kung lahat tayo ay ganun ang mindset, baka tahimik na ang bansa lalo na pag me eleksiyon,” the top cop said.