Comelec asks Jamby to explain online contest

Liberal Party senatorial candidate Jamby Madrigal was finally given notice to explain by the Commission on Elections Monday for holding an online contest with an iPad as prize—a possible election violation.
Madrigal should answer the letter in three days. The letter, sent by the Comelec Law Department, reads that Madrigal could have violated the Omnibus Election Code on vote buying and vote selling.
The online contest, which Madrigal said was initiated by her supporters, was reported by concerned citizens to the poll body’s Education and Information Department.
Meanwhile, aside from Madrigal, the poll body also sent notices to senatorial candidates Risa Hontiveros, Edward Hagedorn, Teodoro Casino and Sonny Angara to remove their illegal campaign posters.
For party-list groups, notices were also sent to Buhay, Kabataan and LPGMA with three notices each, PBA, 1JAMg, Piston, Anak Mindanao and Sanlakas with one each.
Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes, Jr. earlier said appropriate cases will be filed if the illegally placed campaign posters are not removed.
Brillantes has also reminded candidates that even if the posters are placed in their residence or headquarters, the prescribed poster size–which must not exceed 2 x 3 feet–should be strictly followed.
Under Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code, vote-buying is defined as “any person who gives, offers or promises money or anything of value, gives or promises any office or employment, franchise or grant, public or private, or makes or offers to make an expenditure, directly or indirectly, or cause an expenditure to be made to any person, association, corporation, entity, or community in order to induce anyone or the public in general to vote for or against any candidate or withhold his vote in the election, or to vote for or against any aspirant for the nomination or choice of a candidate in a convention or similar selection process of a political party.”
Vote-selling, meanwhile, is “any person, association, corporation, group or community who solicits or receives, directly or indirectly, any expenditure or promise of any office or employment, public or private, for any of the foregoing considerations.” [PNA]