Five-termer Congressman Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City’s 2nd District being with City Election Officer Ramil Acol (center) and Namfrel Cagayan de Oro-Misamis Oriental Chapter chairperson Nestor Banuag Jr. prior to the Pag-ila sit-down interview at Xavier University on April 12, 2025. [Photo supplied]
MindanaoToday.com | Congressional bets back anti-vote buying moves
By: Uriel Quilinguing
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – The four aspirants, including two incumbents, who wish to represent the city in Congress, differ in many ways, yet they have something in common—all are against vote-buying.
When asked for either “Yes” or “No” answer in Pag-ila (to identify) sit-down interviews at Xavier University here on Saturday, April 12, whether they would support stringent penalties for those found guilty of buying votes, their responses were all in the affirmative.
Vote-buying is described in the Omnibus Election Code as “any person who gives, offers or promises money or anything of value in order to induce anyone or the public to vote for or against any candidate or withhold his vote in the election.”
Upon conviction, the person “shall be punished with imprisonment or not less than one year but not more than six years and shall not be subject to probation,” and he or she “shall be sentenced to suffer disqualification to hold public office and deprivation of the right of suffrage.”
But Besavilla “Bebs” Morales, who presented herself as an evangelical pastor and an independent candidate in the city’s second legislative district, said outright disqualification may be too harsh, suggesting the violator be subjected to counselling first and be asked to explain why, as part of due process.
Morales, a member of the Cagayan de Oro Evangelical Ministers Association, said that, if elected, she would push for “reformation and moral regeneration” for all those in public service and in the city government bureaucracy.
For incumbent Barangay Carmen Chairman Rainer “Kikang” Uy, disqualifying a candidate due to vote-buying is only proper because “it is stated in the law, so we must follow” and since “the Comelec (Commission on Elections) is a constitutional body, it is up to the Comelec to address the issue, not only locally but nationally.”
Uy, a former city vice mayor, is the son of current and City Mayor Rolando “Klarex” Uy and this is his second attempt to become the city’s first legislative district congressman. He filed his certificate of candidacy under Aksyon Demokratiko political party.
Lawyer Rufus Rodriguez, now on his fifth term as the city’s second district representative running under the Centrist Democratic Party of the Philippines said: “Yes, that is part of our Election Code. Vote-buying is always a violation. We don’t bank on buying votes. We bank on our performance.”
Rodriguez said the electorates vote for performance and platform of candidates rather than money, and that he would do his best, while still in Congress, “to be able to have this particular law be implemented.” His legislative priorities are on health, education, employment, and development assistance (HEED).
Meanwhile, first-termer Congressman Lordan Suan, who is seeking reelection, said money should never be the basis in choosing who the leader should be, instead voters should examine the qualification, competence, and determination of the candidates.
Suan, a lawyer and a salesman prior to his entry to politics, said the candidate who buy votes to win has to recover the expenses, once elected into office. He is a party member of Lakas Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD).
All four candidates for the HOR in the May 12 midterm elections answered positively whether all public elected officials should be required mandatory submission of annual statement of assets, liabilities, and net-worth (SALN) so the public may know if they have been making a killing out of government projects.
They are also against political dynasty and the use of faces and names of politicians on billboards of infrastructure projects, their explanations however differ some bordering on exceptions.
Pag-ila series is a youth-led a voter’s education activity of the Central Student Government of Xavier University with the support of the institution’s Social Involvement and Advocacy Program (SIAP) and Office of the Vice President for Social Development, in partnership with the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) Cagayan de Oro Chapter, and the Commission on Elections Cagayan de Oro. [Uriel Quilinguing/MT/MP]
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