MANILA, Philippines – With only 3 days before the elections, disqualification cases are abounding, and they have one thing in common: the ground being cited is vote buying.

Take the 3 cases filed on Friday, May 10, from different parts of Luzon.

In Camarines Sur’s 3rd district, Leni Robredo, sought to disqualify her rival in the congressional race Nelly Villafuerte and the latter’s husband, gubernatorial bet Luis Villafuerte. According to Robredo’s 3 witnesses, the gubernatioral and congressional candidates handed out envelopes filled with money in exchange for people voting for the entire slate of the National People’s Coalition (NPC).

In Baguio, former councilor and now mayoral candidate Jose Molintas alleged that in 3 instances, re-electionist Mayor Mauricio Domogan told a crowd to vote for him in exchange of a P7000 allowance for scholars. Molintas showed a video uploaded on Facebook to prove this. He filed the disqualification case at the Commission on Elections in Manila. 

Meanwhile, the former congressman of Isabela’s 2nd district Edwin Uy accused incumbent Rep. Ana Go of misusing the district’s share in the tobacco excise to secure votes for two mayors who are her allies. Uy claimed that he got hold of receipts that are proof of Go’s vote buying using the money.

The Comelec has been keen on its campaign against the act by issuing Resolution No. 9688 that aims to curb the buying and selling of votes during the election period. – Rappler.com