Newly-designated Commission on Elections (Comelec)-Bohol provincial supervisor Eddie Aba revealed that the poll body is aware of the possibility that e-wallets will be used as transaction channels for vote buying.
Aba made the revelation in a radio interview over dyTR Balita FM 91.1’s Open Forum program on Jan. 27, 2022, hosted by Gloria Leodivica Araneta.
He said that it is possible the Comelec will release guidelines regarding the detection/prevention of possible use of e-wallets as translation channels for vote buying in a few weeks.
“Maybe in a few weeks from now, we [Comelec] will be able to
come up with the processes on how to detect and how to prevent
[the use of e-wallet for vote buying],” Aba said in the interview
More people have been using e-wallets like GCash and Paymaya as a means of payment or money transfer during the pandemic, observers quip.
These e-wallet provide a convenient way of getting or sending money from one person to another especially during the pandemic, observers add.
Thus, there are some sectors of society who think that these e-wallets can be used as a means to transfer funds to buy votes as these transactions can be clandestine.
Aba said in the fight against vote buying, the Comelec asks the help of citizens by reporting such election law violations to authorities.
He added that the fight against vote buying is a product of the concerted effort of the Comelec and the citizenry.
ABA IS BACK
Aba returns for another tour of duty as the temporary Comelec provincial election supervisor of Bohol.
He was also assigned in Bohol back in the 2019 midterm elections.
Aba temporarily replaces Eliseo Labaria. On the other hand, Labaria is assigned to Siquijor.
Aba is the permanent provincial election supervisor of Negros Oriental and is based in Dumaguete City.
He explained that even the election registrars of different towns in Bohol are reassigned elsewhere to prevent partiality in the observance of election processes by poll officials.
According to reports, there are election registrars in Bohol who have been reassigned as it is already the election period, which started on Jan. 9, 2022.