Follow law, DILG tells bets amid 158 poll complaints

At least 158 complaints of vote-buying, vote-selling and abuse of government assets have been lodged so far, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Friday.

In a briefing at the DILG office in Quezon City, Assistant Secretary for Local Government Jesi Howard Lanete reminded candidates to comply with election laws with only 17 days remaining until the May 12 polls.

“There are 158 complaints for vote-buying, vote-selling or abuse of state resources that [have been] lodged with the Committee on Kontra Bigay [or] the Comelec (Commission on Elections),” Lanete said.

“We want to remind our candidates to strictly comply with the Comelec provisions against vote-buying, and for our incumbent candidates to prevent the abuse of state resources,” the official said.

“We also want to remind our candidates that there are only 17 days to go before the national and local elections, and it is the wish of the department that our elections will be safe, peaceful and successful for all,” Lanete added.

Stricter rules

On Jan. 28, Comelec Resolution No. 11104 introduced stricter mechanisms to combat vote-buying, vote-selling and acts constituting abuse of state resources.

Also on Friday, two rights advocates asked the Supreme Court to stop a Civil Service Commission (CSC) circular prohibiting government employees from engaging with any election related posts on social media.

Former Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite and Santiago Dasmariñas, president of the Confederation for Unity Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees filed the petition for certiorari and prohibition.

The 28-page petition also seeks to declare the CSC Circular Memorandum No. 3 series 2025 as “unconstitutional” for infringing upon government employees’ freedom of speech and expression.

The respondents also assailed the CSC and the Comelec’s joint Circular No. 1 from 2016.

“Social media functions such as ‘liking,’ ‘comment,’ ‘sharing,’ re-posting or following a candidate’s or party’s account are considered as “partisan political activity’ if these are resorted to as means to solicit support for or against a candidate or party during the campaign period,” Circular 3 read.

Constitutional rights

But petitioners argued that the circulars violate the constitutional rights of government workers.

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“Our view is that government employees have the right to freedom of expression. If they believe that candidate deserves to lead our country, then as a citizen, they have the right to express that,” Bayan Muna chairperson Neri Colmenares, the petitioners’ lawyer, said in an ambush interview on Friday.

Colmenares argued that it is still the right of the government employee to do this in their own personal time even if that meant attending rallies in support of a candidate.

“All told, there is chilling effect on the part of government employees resulting from these vague and overbroad provisions,” the petition read.

“Government employees are silenced out of fear of possible sanctions,” the petition added.

The petitioners further pressed this point, mentioning that penalties for violation of the 2025 CSC Circular and the Comelec-CSC Joint Circular were “serious and grave.” This includes dismissal from service, perpetual disqualification from holding public office or taking the civil service examinations, and imprisonment.