Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia said it is allowing authorities to conduct warrantless arrests on vote buyers and vote sellers in connection with the May 12, 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE).
In a resolution, the Comelec said it is allowing law enforcers to arrest vote buyers and sellers even without a warrant, if they are caught red-handed.
The Comelec, in Resolution No. 11104, widens the powers of the “Committee on Kontra-Bigay” of the poll body to monitor vote buying and selling during polls.
“Any law enforcement officer may, without a warrant, arrest a person when, in his or her presence, the person to be arrested has committed, is actually committing, or is attempting to commit the election offense of vote-buying and vote-selling or act constituting ASR (abuse of state resources),” the resolution stated.
Garcia said that all vote buyers and sellers need to be brought to the nearest police station while the materials used in the vote- buying or selling will be put under police custody.
“The money or any other goods of value, sample ballots and any other campaign materials used for vote-buying and vote-selling, and ASR, shall be immediately seized and taken into custody by the apprehending law enforcement officer,” the resolution said.
