COMELEC-BAGUIO SOLICITS PUBLIC COOPERATION IN MONEY BAN IMPLEMENTATION

August 26, 2023 Metro BLISTT

BAGUIO CITY

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Baguio solicited the cooperation of the building in the implementation of the money ban during the election period from August 28 to November 29, 2023. COMELEC- Baguio Election Officer Atty. John Paul Martin said that aside from COMELEC checkpoints, all police authorities will be tasked to conduct money ban checkpoints or monitor the
transportation or delivery of large sums of money. This is under the Kontra Bigay initiative of the Commission to combat vote-buying.

“Haan laeng a paltog ti kitkitaen da iti checkpoint, kitaen da pay nu adda ti sakosako ti kwarta iti uneg ti lugan mo. Kayat na a sawen, haan mo nga dapat nga ig-iggeman ti 500,000 pesos pangato, iti public places during the entire election period. Apay? Kasi baka usarem dayta iti vote buying (They will not only be checking guns at the checkpoint; they will also check if you large amount of
money inside your vehicle. You are not supposed to be carrying P500,000 pesos or more in public places during the entire election period.

Why? You might use it for votebuying),” Martin elaborated. He said the COMELEC has coordinated with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to monitor cases of persons withdrawing big sum of money
and requesting for it in smaller denominations. “Naki-coordinate ti COMELEC iti Bangko Sentral
ng Pilipinas a nu kaspangarigan nag-withdraw ka iti more than P100,000 tapos imbagam nga
tig-sisingkwenta, tig-bibiente, tig-sasangagasut in denomination, red flag ka, baka usarem dagitoy iti vote buying (The COMELEC coordinated with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas that if you
withdraw more than P100,000, then you request that it be P50, P20, or P100 in denomination; you are under red flag; you might use it in vote-buying),” he explained.

He said that exempted here are businessmen, disbursement officers, cashiers, collectors, among others. Martin mentioned that COMELEC lawyers will also undergo trainings on the conduct of inquest proceedings for faster resolution of cases involving vote-buying. The COMELEC will pilot
the Kontra Bigay Committee this 2023 BSKE. It comes with a complaint center which is expected to operate from August 28 to October 28 from 8:00AM to 5:00PM, and 24/7 on October 29 to 31. If it goes well, it will be fully implemented during the May 2025 National and Local Elections, said Martin.

(JDP/DEG-PIA CAR)