Tabuk Elections Officer urges those offered bribes in BSKE 2023 to report and sign affidavits

Tabuk City, Kalinga - COMELEC-Tabuk Elections Officer Atty. Reyman Solbita encouraged those who have been offered bribes to execute an affidavit and formally report the offense.

This came after his office received photos of alleged vote-buying during the BSKE 2023 but no one has executed his affidavit or filed a complaint.

After the successful conduct of the BSKE 2023 in Tabuk City, Atty. Solbita, in an interview with Station 1 Radio on Monday, November 6, disclosed that there have been reports of vote buying, but no substantial updates have been received as of yet.

He said that complaints have not been filed with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) and their assistance desks have not received concrete evidence of the vote-buying transactions, that could convince them to proceed.

“Awan pay ti update tayo regarding vote buying nu anya ti nangyarin ken agbirbiruk da iti ag-execute ti affidavit of complaint dagiti IBP. Dagidiay assistance desk, so far haan tayo laeng ammo ta dagiay dadduma gamin nga complainants nga nangisesend ti pictures ti vote-buying ket makon-convince ta dapat dagiay mismo nga nakakita ken nakaawat (ti ag-affidavit) kasi nu awan gamin ti ag-witness haan nga agprosper diay kaso ket you know in vote buying duwwa ti darum dita, the giver and the receiver,” he said.

Atty. Solbita stressed the importance of witnesses in these cases, as vote buying involves both the giver and the receiver. Witnesses are needed to provide a complete account of the crime, he said the receiver must testify to ensure the case's success.

Without both sides being witnessed, the crime remains incomplete.

“Kapintasan nga ag-witness dita diay receiver tapnu maabsuwelto isuna ah, kasla star witness tu isunan nu tutuusen ta haan nga ma-complete iti crime nu awan ti giver ken receiver. Otherwise, nu haan na-receive gamin ket attempt pay lang diyay tapnu haan nga consummated diyay vote buying, ngem nu na-receive, of course, umay kuma ag-execute ti affidavit daytoy naka receive, siyempre composedly ni-receive na, at least na complete diyay crime. Election offence of vote buying,” he further explained.

He reiterated that vote buying is a criminal offense that carries severe penalties, including perpetual disqualification from holding public office, whether it's on a national, local, barangay, or SK level.

These laws apply to elections at all levels of government, emphasizing the seriousness of tackling vote buying in the electoral process.

“Ket nu nag-push through diay case, vote buying is a criminal offense, mabalud diay respondent or with accessory of perpetual disqualification to hold public office, meaning haan tun nga makataray ken haan tun maka-kandidato ti anya man nga posisyon ti gobyerno - amin, national or local, barangay ken SK,” he stated.

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