‘Money ban’ against vote buying, selling

 EDITORIAL

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is eyeing to impose a “money ban” to lessen or stop vote buying and selling during the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) on Oct. 30.
Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia said Tuesday under Section 27 of the draft of Kontra Bigay resolution, the poll body may presume vote buying or selling through one's "possession or transport" of cash exceeding P500,000 five days before the election day.

    “We will not prohibit withdrawal of P500,000. What we will prohibit and punish are those sending P500,000 especially when the campaign period starts," the state-run Philippine News Agency quoted him as saying.
    However, Garcia said individuals with justifiable backgrounds shall be exempted, including businessmen and disbursement officers or cashiers, among others.
    “Where can you see someone carrying half a million [pesos] before the election day and you're not a treasurer nor a businessman? What [kind of worker] are you, a vote buyer? So, we will presume that person is involved in vote buying)," he said.
    All police authorities are tasked to conduct 24-hour money ban checkpoints nationwide.
    Garcia said although these measures are not under the law, setting such is also not prohibited.
    Garcia said the Comelec has submitted the draft of Kontra Bigay resolution to en banc for approval of the proposed money ban and other measures, and setting of guidelines.
    Besides transporting or delivering large sums of money, Comelec also aims to monitor the splitting of at least P20,000 cash into smaller denominations of P100s, P50s or P20s.
    It also targets to cooperate with mobile banking and digital payment platforms to ensure they are not used for vote buying or selling.
    "Ang GCash, PayMaya at iba pa pong platform ay under ng BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas). Kausap natin ang BSP at pati na ang AMLC (Anti-Money Laundering Council) (The Gcash, PayMaya and other platforms are under BSP. We are coordinating with the BSP and AMLC)," Garcia said.
    Under the Comelec draft resolution, long queues of registered voters for distribution of cash or other favors shall also be subject to the action of law enforcement.
    Apart from stringent monetary measures, the Comelec also seeks to create an official Kontra Bigay committee, with a complaint center for efficiency.
    The complaint center is expected to operate from Aug. 28 to Oct. 28 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 24/7 starting Oct. 29 to 31. 
    Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it will exert  utmost courtesy when conducting inspections at checkpoints.        
“The PNP will help with manning Comelec checkpoints. We will look at vehicles that pass through checkpoints and the implementation of that is through the plain view doctrine where our police officers will inspect the vehicles by only looking at the inside of the car. Foraging and search are prohibited. If there is a reason to be more thorough in the search, that's the only time that we will do it. So, plain view doctrine),” PNP Public Information chief Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan told reporters when sought for a comment in a press briefing Tuesday held at Camp Crame.
    He said that exempted are messengers, cashiers and other employees whose jobs involve transporting money for their companies and all they have to show is their company ID as proof of their employment.
Maranan said they will continue to monitor the 27 "areas of grave concern" for the coming BSKE.
The PNP is looking at 27 barangays that can be placed in the red category, but the validation process reportedly is still ongoing because these 27 are based only on historical data.