66 percent of Filipino voters believe vote buying will be prevalent in the upcoming midterm elections, according to survey results that polling group OCTA Research released on Thursday, April 3.
OCTA conducted the survey from February 22 to February 28 with a sample of 1,200 registered voters. The remaining 34 percent of participants said that vote buying will not be prevalent.
These percentages were consistent across the National Capital Region, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, as well as the poor and lower-middle socioeconomic classes. However, of respondents from the upper to middle classes, only 46 percent said that vote buying will be prevalent in the elections.
68 percent of respondents overall said that vote buying will negatively impact the election results, while 32 percent said otherwise.
“By sharing these insights, OCTA Research aims to highlight the ongoing threat that vote buying and selling pose, not just to electoral integrity but to democracy itself,” said the research firm. “The goal is to spark dialogue and encourage collective action among stakeholders. OCTA Research believes addressing this issue is essential to ensuring fair elections and safeguarding democracy.”
Acknowledging the survey results, Commission on Elections chairman George Erwin Garcia said, “Humihingi kami ng tulong sa mga kababayan natin. Hindi sapat na nakatingin lang tayo kahit di tayo tumatanggap. Mas maganda kung magrereport tayo [at] aaksyon kami.” He added that filing formal complaints allows Comelec to take necessary action.
On Tuesday, April 1, Comelec said its main office has received 23 reports of vote buying and selling so far. In the 2022 elections, the Department of Interior and Local Government recorded 245 incidents of vote buying.
Candidates involved in vote buying can face imprisonment of one to six years and disqualification from holding public office.
