Egay Uy .
IN the 2013 mid-term elections, our high school batch, XUHS 1970, was actively involved in the campaign against selling and buying of votes. We were engaged in the “My Vote is Not for Sale” initiative of the archdiocese and the PPCRV. We went around schools and even made a presentation in the seminary about it and got the support of the parish priests to help out in the campaign.
To make the presentation easily understandable, we presented computations on how much each voter is “paid” on a daily basis if he accepted money for his vote. At P100 and a three-year term of a winning candidate, the voter has sold his vote for a mere nine centavos per day.
Vote buying and selling certainly is a mockery of the electoral processes. While it is expressly prohibited by law, the Omnibus Election Code, and other electionelated issuances, it is openly being violated both by voters and candidates.
It is easier said than done, that’s for sure. Way back in 2013, one of our batchmates asked a voter in the outskirts why he sells his vote. The reply was a not surprising, “La-uya na gud na, Sir.”
If this represents the true status of people in the outskirts of the city, then this is a serious concern. Serious because this could mean we will be governed by candidates who win elections through the “la-uya” strategy.
The reforms must start from the candidates themselves. In fact, many have suggested, dawata ang kwarta botar konsensya which does not guarantee any change for the better. Once a voter starts accepting money from candidates (and most probably he will be accepting money not only from one candidate but will be shopping), vote selling and buying will always be social disease to contend with.
It is difficult, yes, to effect arrests of vote sellers and vote buyers because of the expected conspiracy between the candidates and the voters. Even then, we should not stop campaigning to put a stop to this practice.
There are even reports that even candidates for the Sanggguniang Kabataan are already into this illegal practice of vote buying. One Facebook post I saw said the parents of a candidate were already computing how they will spend for voters so their kid will win the SK elections.
Starting them young, eh?
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