A Bohol-based lawyer publicly denounced what he calls the “money-driven” political system in the province, urging voters to reject corruption and unqualified candidates.
In a recent radio interview, Atty. Jordan Pizarras criticized the electoral culture in Bohol, saying that voters who accept money are a major part of the problem.
“The ones who are greatly at fault are also Boholanos because they accept money,” Pizarras said in the Cebuano language during the “Kwentas Klaras Program” on DyTR.
“If they really didn’t accept money, then unqualified people would not get elected. Let’s just be truthful.”
Pizarras said the practice of “kwarta-kwarta” – a local term for vote-buying – leads to the election of officials who lack the qualifications and integrity for public service.
“I look at our officials in Bohol, it’s so pitiful. Many don’t have degrees, no proper qualifications. Bohol is pitiable,” he said.
He called on the public to become more engaged and to hold their leaders accountable, suggesting that civic action is necessary.
“It’s right for us to rally, because we need to care that it’s no longer business as usual, that we just allow officials who keep on stealing. That’s no longer acceptable,” Pizarras said.
Accusations of vote-buying are common during election seasons in the Philippines.
However, public officials and community leaders rarely place direct, equal blame on the electorate for accepting money.
Pizarras’s comments break from that norm, sparking conversation about shared responsibility in political accountability.