TWO DECADES AGO: Sen. Grace Poe, after two decades, revisits the event that transpired on May 10, 2004, when her late father Fernando Poe Jr. ran for president but lost to then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in a controversial result and an alleged electoral fraud. During Wednesday鈥檚 plenary session, May 8, 2024, Poe delivered a privilege speech and showed a film presentation that detailed the events that unfolded 20 years ago. (Bibo Nueva Espa帽a/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Senator Grace Poe has filed a bill seeking to purge vote buying, specifically buying and selling of votes electronically.
Poe鈥檚 Senate Bill No. 2664 was filed on Wednesday ahead of the 2025 midterm polls and in time for the 20th anniversary of the 鈥淗ello Garci鈥� scandal.
READ: WHAT WENT BEFORE: 鈥楬ello Garci scandal鈥� investigation
To recall, the scandal involved a series of recorded phone calls between then presidential candidate Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and then-election commissioner Virgilio Garcillano allegedly talking about the additional votes to favor the 2004 national election results.
It later on erupted as one of the biggest electoral crises in the Philippines.
Arroyo was sworn as the 14th President of the Philippines, winning against then presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. 鈥� the senator鈥檚 father.
According to Poe, vote-buying remains unchanged despite evolution of the country鈥檚 electoral system. This prompted her to file a bill defining the offense of vote-buying, seeking the penalty of imprisonment of not less than six years but not more than 10 years.
鈥淎longside [the] digital shift is the penetration and proliferation of cybercriminals in vote-buying and vote-selling schemes through money mules. These money mules use electronic money transfer methods to facilitate vote-buying and vote-selling,鈥� Poe鈥檚 bill reads.
鈥淯nlike traditional vote-buying where the candidates physically give out money, it is a challenge to detect the source of these digital schemes,鈥� it adds.
READ: Grace Poe revives 鈥楬ello Garci鈥� scandal in speech at Senate
Citing 鈥渓imitations of existing law,鈥� Poe鈥檚 bill introduces an amendment to the definition of vote-buying under Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code to include criminal developments exploiting the use of technology and computer devices, software, and applications in the electoral processes.
鈥淭he penalty to be imposed shall be imprisonment of not less than six years but not more than ten years and shall not be subject to probation,鈥� said Poe.