“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.” –Theodore Roosevelt
Most political candidates in the Philippines are hypocrites; condemning vote-buying as “evil” while engaging in the said practice. No candidate for higher office would admit to being in cahoots with barangay officials (mostly corrupt barangay captains and kagawads) when buying votes, which is mostly done on the eve of election day or they face disqualification and possible jail time for violations of election laws.
For several years, in both national and local elections, results have primarily been decided by the amount of money voters received in exchange for their vote. According to sources, “market value” ranges between P500 and P1,000 per vote; for a family of five, that’s P5,000, enough to feed five for a week.
However, times have changes and corrupt candidates are employing new methods to hijack fair and honest elections.
The reality is candidates who “win” surveys but do not have the cash to distribute during those crucial times may find themselves on the losing end. Conversely, “losing” surveys are by no means the end of the world for candidates as long as they are financially prepared for the homestretch. Even those with name recognition are not confident unless they are able to pay corrupt voters.
This aberration in the Philippine electoral system has been a common practice since the years of former President Ferdinand Marcos. The first of such events occurred during the 1986 snap elections; fake P100 bills were used the administration to ensure the strongman retained power. Despite later being ousted, electoral exercises were never the same again and the candidates or political parties with the money continued to dominate races.
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The United Nations has spoken. Crimes against journalists and others in the media must not be tolerated. UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned attacks and harassment are on the rise despite calling the attention to the Human Rights Council and pointing out the “shrinking civic space in every region of the globe and every corner of the internet.”
He stated: “Activists and journalists are being targeted by surveillance, misinformation campaigns, and threats of violence that too often result in actual violence. We must do more to defend defenders and end reprisals against those who share their human rights stories and we must hold accountable those who commit such acts.”
The UN official noted, over a thousand human rights defenders and journalists were killed in the last three years.
“Respect for human rights is just a game of words if there is no respect for people,” he added.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNCHR) also called for an independent and thorough review of all charges against Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa and other media professionals in the Philippines. Rupert Colville, spokesperson for UNCHR chief Michelle Bachelet, urged the Philippine judiciary to “safeguard their own independence by throwing out cases that are clearly politically motivated or are not in line with international human rights standards, including freedom of opinion and expression.”/WDJ