Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) chair Henrietta De Villa has reported rampant vote buying in various provinces in the first national automated elections.
“The bulk of reports from PPCRV volunteers are of vote buying. Election cheats have to revert aggressively to vote buying. I’m not happy about this,” De Villa told reporters at the National Canvassing Center.
De Villa noted several incidents in Lingayen, Pangasinan where candidates’ volunteers offer a bag of groceries in exchange for the people’s vote.
In Palawan, there were also reports that the vote price has reached P3,000, said De Villa.
She added that in Lanao provinces, “underage” voters were seen at the polling precincts.
De Villa also noted that some PCOS machines suffered some “breakdowns” but the glitches were manageable.
There were also reports that long lines have disenfranchised several voters, said De Villa.
“Please don’t lose patience and go home because of the long lines. This is the only time we can affect change in our country,” De Villa appealed.
