Vote-Buying 2025 in the Philippines: Comelec Logs 34 Complaints
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APRIL 01,2025
Rising Concerns on Vote-Buying in the Philippines Before Midterm Elections
MANILA, Philippines – With the May 12, 2025 midterm elections just around the corner, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has already recorded 34 reports of alleged vote-buying and other illegal campaign practices. This early wave of complaints is raising red flags about the integrity of the upcoming polls.
Comelec Commissioner Ernesto Maceda Jr. revealed during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing on Tuesday that 23 reports involve vote-buying and vote-selling, while 11 pertain to the misuse of government resources, such as state vehicles and facilities used for political campaigning.
“We started getting reports even before the official start of the election period,” Maceda said, pointing out that the National Capital Region (NCR) continues to top the list in terms of the number of complaints.
Metro Manila Tops Vote-Buying Reports Again, Says Comelec
Maceda, who leads the Comelec-Committee on Kontra Bigay, highlighted that this pattern isn’t new. During the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), Metro Manila also logged the highest number of vote-buying incidents.
“I don’t know if that’s because there are genuinely more vote-buying cases here or if it’s because the public is more aware of their voting rights,” Maceda explained.
Under the Omnibus Election Code, vote-buying is defined as giving, offering, or promising money or any item of value to influence a person—or the general public—to vote for or against a particular candidate. Vote-selling, its counterpart, involves receiving money or any form of compensation in exchange for votes.
Historical Data Shows Vote-Buying Is a Persistent Problem
Comelec statistics further paint a concerning picture. In the 2022 national elections, the poll body received 1,226 vote-buying complaints. This number dropped to 375 during the 2023 BSKE, but officials warn that this drop may not necessarily reflect an actual decrease in incidents.
As the 2025 midterm elections near, Comelec continues to urge the public to report suspicious activities and election law violations to help protect the democratic process.
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