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SHERRIE ANN TORRES

<p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">MANILA — Potential candidates for the 2025 elections should be wary of offers to ensure victory at the polls in exchange for money, Elections Chairman George Erwin Garcia warned Wednesday.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">He said he has been getting calls from concerned parties alleging there are certain groups offering their services to politicians in exchange P50 million or more.</p><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/>Garcia said he received similar information during the 2022 elections, and the syndicates, he said, are apparently back in action with the 2025 polls approaching.<br/><br/>“Noong mga nakaraang eleksyon, lagi pong may mga naglipanang sindikato o mga ordinaryong tao na sinasabing may mga contact sila sa Comelec, malapit sila sa Information Technology Department people ng Comelec o kaya ay sinuman yung supplier o yung provider ng Comelec, may access sila,” Garcia told journalists.<br/><br/>(In previous elections, a lot of syndicates and people were claiming they had connections — either in the IT department or at Comelec’s suppliers and service providers.)</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">He said those people would offer a supposed service of fixing the elections for P50 million to P100 million.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/15/goodbye-placeholders-comelec-drops-separate-substitution-period-for-candidates-1333">READ: Goodbye &#x27;placeholders&#x27;? Comelec drops separate substitution period for candidates</a></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">“Sana po huwag nating papayagan na lokohin po tayo ng mga ‘yan o linlangin. Hindi po totoo ‘yan, Garcia stressed.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">Many of these groups, according to Garcia, are now actively operating in Visayas and Mindanao areas and are offering their services to aspirants for local and national positions.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">He said the elections next year will have more avenues for transparency than previous polls.</p><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/>“‘Yung resibo, may QR code po ‘yun. At naka-send to all. Ibig sabihin po pinapadala sa lahat ng media entities, sa atin pong media server. Meron po tayong majority party, minority party. Meron po tayong citizen’s arm, [National Movement for Free Elections] and [Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting]… ang pinaka-importante, sa bandang ipapakita po namin ang lahat ng balotang pumasok,” Garcia pointed out.<br/><br/>(Each ballot cast has a receipt with a QR code, which is sent to all — media entities, media server, majority party, minority party, citizen’s arm. NAMFREL and PPCRV. And the most important thing is, we will show those ballots to the public)</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">Garcia then appealed to potential candidates to tip authorities off if they are approached by supposed election fixers. He said the Comelec will help potential candidates  file cases against those people.</p><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/><strong>‘10 NOMINEES PER PARTY-LIST, NO SUBSTITUTIONS’<br/></strong><br/>Along with the commission’s efforts to reform the electoral system would be requiring party-list organizations who will be accredited by the Comelec to submit a list of 10 nominees, Garcia said.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">The names that the party-lists will submit will be their final nominees.<br/><br/>“At pagkatapos po nun ay wala na pong dagdag. Wala na pong pu-pwedeng idagdag pag na-exhaust yung sampu... pagkatapos po nun, wala na pong palitan, wala na pong dadgag na pwedeng i-submit sa amin. And we will refuse to accept the Certificate of Candidacy,” Garcia said.<br/><br/>(We will no longer allow additional names or substitutions.)<br/><br/>“Para naman hindi po nase-set aside, or para naman po hindi nagkakaroon ng misrepresentation... para hindi naman po nadudungisan ang ibang party-list dahil lamang po sa pagpapalitan,” he added.<br/><br/>(To also protect the integrity of other party-list groups)</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">Garcia said he will formally submit his proposal to the Commission En Banc.<br/><br/>The Comelec still needs to hear and evaluate the qualifications of 82 remaining groups applying for accreditation as party-list organizations, Garcia said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HAtyEPkYtTU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Potential candidates for the 2025 elections should be wary of offers to ensure victory at the polls in exchange for money, Elections Chairman George Erwin Garcia warned.</p>

Potential candidates for the 2025 elections should be wary of offers to ensure victory at the polls in exchange for money, Elections Chairman George Erwin Garcia warned.

Be wary of, report people claiming to be elections fixers — Comelec chair Garcia | ABS-CBN

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Be wary of, report people claiming to be elections fixers — Comelec chair Garcia

Be wary of, report people claiming to be elections fixers — Comelec chair Garcia

ABS-CBN News,

SHERRIE ANN TORRES

Published May 29, 2024 11:32 PM PHT

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Updated Sep 23, 2024 11:25 AM PHT

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