COMELEC JUNKS VOTE-BUYING COMPLAINT VS CAMILLE VILLAR

The Commission on Elections has dismissed the disqualification case for alleged vote-buying filed against millennial senatorial candidiate Camille Villar.

In a one-page reply issued and signed by Teofisto Elnas, Jr., vice-chairperson of the Committee on Kontra Bigay on May 7, the poll body said there was no sufficient evidence presented before the committee to pursue the allegations.

“Upon evaluation of the evidence gathered, the undersigned deems the same insufficient to proceed to the filing of a complaint for election offense and/or a petition for disqualification,” Elnas said.

The Committee on Kontra Bigay said Camille Villar and her lawyers have satisfactorily explained the circumstances surrounding the reported act of alleged vote-buying.

Camille Villar welcomed the poll body’s resolution, which came barely four days before election day.

“I thank the Comelec for the timely issuance of this resolution, junking the complaint of vote-buying,” she said. “I assure everyone that I am running on a clean platform, pursuing only my advocacies that aim to make lives better for the Filipinos.”

Camille Villar earlier debunked the claims of an anonymous complainant about alleged vote-buying in an event in Cavite, which was posted on social media last February 12.

The Comelec took cognizance of the reply of the camp of Camille Villar, who said the purported event mentioned in the Show Cause Order occurred on February 9, 2025, ahead of the campaign period. Neither was such a violation of election laws.

The poll body also took into consideration tje several affidavits presented by Villar’s camp to dispute the vote-buying allegations and that the event happened on Feb. 9.