WITH THE looming elections, the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) has issued a strong reminder to the public regarding the illegality of vote buying and selling, emphasizing the severe penalties associated with these offenses.
The DCPO released a public advisory defining the prohibited activities and outlining the legal consequences for those found guilty.
What constitutes vote buying and selling?
According to the DCPO, vote buying is defined as the act of giving, offering, or promising any of the following in exchange for votes:
Money or anything of value, any office position or job, Franchise or reward, public or private Expenses, directly or indirectly, Extracting expenses from any person, association, corporation, entity, or community.
Vote selling, on the other hand, is defined as the act of asking for or receiving, directly or indirectly, any expenditure or promise of any office or job, public or private, for any of the aforementioned reasons by any person, association, corporation, group, or community.
The DCPO stressed the significant penalties for those convicted of election offenses, which include:
Imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than six years.
Disqualification from holding public office, the deprivation of the right of suffrage, and no probation will be given.
The police aim to ensure a clean and honest election process, free from corruption and illegal practices. Moreover, the DCPO encourages the public to report any suspected instances of vote buying or selling to the authorities.
