| Photo by Defrino Maasy on Unsplash
Filipinos dictate the country’s direction every three years—a ‘tinder (fork)’ on the road. Every three years since post-colonial independence (1946), Filipinos have somehow elected the wrong leaders for the wrong time for the wrong reasons. In 1946, due to the lack of an official exchange rate, it was generally accepted that every two Philippine pesos was worth one U.S. dollar.
In 2025, the exchange is Php55.67. Loosely translated, it will cost Php56 today to buy something worth Php2 in 1946. One can buy less today with the same pesos from 1946. For a country to industrialize, an era when the exchange rate was Php2: U.S. $ 1 would have been a great time to do it. An excellent time to send scholars overseas for study and research in the hope of bringing back knowledge to start industries in the Philippines. Somehow, these basics of economics were lost to our leaders then, and are still alien to our leaders today. China has 250,000 U.S. student visas at any one time. Is it any wonder that new technology emanated from this pool of students?
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in the Philippines has received over 400 reports of vote-buying, vote-selling, and abuse of state resources for the 2025 elections. Of these, 268 cases were related to vote-buying and vote-selling, while 130 cases involved the misuse of government resources. Additionally, 158 complaints related to vote-buying, vote-selling, and misuse of government resources were filed with COMELEC as of late April 2025. The highest number of complaints came from Region IV-A (31 cases), Region III (30 cases), and the National Capital Region (24 cases).
COMELEC has also issued 74 show-cause orders to candidates accused of vote-buying and abuse of state resources. Some candidates have been summoned to explain the allegations against them, but specific disqualifications due to vote-buying have not been widely reported. While impressive, these numbers pale compared to the actual number of candidates. Vote-buying remains a significant problem in Philippine politics. Both buyers and sellers share responsibility for this practice.
It remains a mystery why candidates can legally keep excess campaign contributions by declaring them ordinary income and paying taxes on them.
It is a quandary why the Philippines does not include a line on the taxpayer returns allotting sums for political parties and applying a mathematical formula to distribute the same equitably.
“For those who have relatives back in the Philippines, please exert every remaining ounce of influence you have left to instruct them of their civic duty on election day. Let us not squander this election cycle once more. Consider it patriotism, and coax every Filipino to vote wisely.
In 2025, it is abominable that the next greatest political campaign contributor(s) will be awarded the most lucrative contracts with the government, from offshore oil exploration to mining to every financially rewarding venture, many times those campaign contributions.
According to the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, the penal provisions for vote buying for any person found guilty of any election offense under this Code shall be punished with imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than six years and shall not be subject to probation. In addition, the guilty party shall be sentenced to suffer disqualification to hold public office and deprivation of the right of suffrage. If he is a foreigner, he shall be sentenced to deportation, enforced after the prison term has been served. Any political party found guilty shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than ten thousand pesos, which shall be imposed upon such party after criminal action has been instituted in which their corresponding officials have been found guilty. (Section 264, OEC)
These penalties, especially for the political parties, are nowhere near deterrent enough and begging to be revised. However, elected officials from the same political parties have little incentive to raise those penalties and punitive disqualifications.
As is often the case, governing laws are inutile to the point of irrelevance. After all, what is Php10,000 today, particularly in the context of a leaked document stipulating P8 B as the party’s fundraising goal?
Impeached officials have been enabled by Supreme Court rulings to seek public office again, even after committing the most heinous crime of all – one of plunder.
For those who have relatives back in the Philippines, please exert every remaining ounce of influence you have left to instruct them of their civic duty on election day.
Let us not squander this election cycle once more. Consider it patriotism, and coax every Filipino to vote wisely.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Crispin Fernandez advocates for overseas Filipinos, public health, transformative political change, and patriotic economics. He is also a community organizer, leader, and freelance writer.
