E-wallet transaction limits needed to fight vote buying before and on election day — Namfrel
By Miguel Hanz L. Antivola, Reporter
Vote buying on digital platforms is a major concern that often goes unnoticed, especially with more and more people using e-wallets and a lack of direct reports, an election watchdog said.
It is next to impossible for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to implement a one-shot solution, Eric Jude O. Alvia, secretary general of the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel), said in an interview with BusinessWorld.
“[E-wallets] should put a cap of ten transactions or lower sent during a number of days before and on the election day to make it cumbersome for someone to do vote buying,” Mr. Alvia said on a more feasible response to the problem.
“The indicated mobile numbers can be used as support, but these are not fool-proof ways to curtail the issue,” he added.
“It could only supplement other means of evidence that was gathered during the actual observation [of vote buying],” he said.
The Comelec received 1,226 vote buying reports in last year’s national and local elections, Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia told a recent briefing.
International poll watchdog Asian Network for Free Elections has noted that rampant vote buying is “the biggest flaw in Philippine elections… which may plague the country more than any other in Asia.”
“Incumbents were more often seen to benefit from such malpractices,” it said in its report published in 2022. “But the impunity afforded to those who violate campaign finance laws ensures that all sorts of candidates and parties engage in vote buying.”
“The enforcement of existing laws is essential in order to establish a playing field that is somewhat level from now, as it certainly was not the case for the 2022 elections.”
The Comelec launched the Committee on KontraBigay on Sept. 8 — an upgrade from the former task force — to ensure the efficient implementation and enforcement of all policies and guidelines to curb vote buying and vote selling, according to Comelec Resolution No. 10946.
This included the opening of the online KontraBigay Complaint Center to receive vote buying complaints and reports, following the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on Oct. 30.
House Bill 1709, or an “Act Defining and Declaring Vote-Buying as a Heinous Crime,” was filed in August last year, which the Comelec said must be complemented by a review and revision of the Omnibus Election Code to adopt to the digital age, BusinessWorld reported in August last year.
Mr. Alvia said the Comelec has invited e-wallet companies to monitor and report transactions which reflect small amounts in huge volumes.
“Putting a limit is a double-edged sword because you inhibit business activity,” Mr. Alvia said, noting that possession of any amount above P500,000, alongside campaign paraphernalia, two days before and on election day is already presumed vote buying.
Additionally, causing the splitting of at least P20,000 to smaller denominations five days before and on election day also counts as presumed vote buying, according to the resolution.
Albeit evergreen, e-wallet platform GCash has set limits on account balance and transaction amounts, in accordance with the Anti-Money Laundering Act mandated by the central bank.
Ingrid Rose Ann G. Beroсa, chief risk officer at GCash, told BusinessWorld that classified parameters are in place to detect suspicious transactions that exhibit vote buying behavior.
“If any of these parameters are hit, these accounts are suspended and investigated,” she said.
“Once internal investigation is completed, these flagged accounts will form part of the suspicious transaction monitoring report submitted to the Anti-Money Laundering Council.”
