Poverty not reason to sell vote: SAP Go

“Unang-una bawal po iyong magbenta ng boto. Pangalawa naman po nagiging dahilan na lang po iyong kahirapan, alam naman natin na matalino naman iyong Pilipino kung sino iyong pipiliin nila (First, it’s illegal to sell votes. Second, we’re only making poverty an excuse but we know our citizens are smart enough to know who to vote for),” Go said in a radio interview. (ALBERT ALCAIN/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

MANILA — Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go on Monday said that voters should not make poverty an excuse to sell their votes in the 2018 barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kabataan (youth council) elections.

“Unang-una bawal po iyong magbenta ng boto. Pangalawa naman po nagiging dahilan na lang po iyong kahirapan, alam naman natin na matalino naman iyong Pilipino kung sino iyong pipiliin nila (First, it’s illegal to sell votes. Second, we’re only making poverty an excuse but we know our citizens are smart enough to know who to vote for),” Go said in a radio interview.

Go said that he believes Filipinos are smart voters and even if they accept the money giving by “vote buyers”, they most likely will still vote for another candidate.

“Matalino iyong mga Pilipino — malay mo tinanggap lang nila hindi naman nila binoto iyon pero para sa akin not valid reason iyong kahirapan para ibenta natin iyong boto natin (Filipinos are smart — it’s even possible that they accepted the money but voted for someone else but for me being poor is not a valid reason to sell your vote),” he added.

The Department of Interior and Local Government earlier reported widespread vote buying and disinformation campaign in several areas in the country a few days before the conduct of barangay and SK elections.

Reports showed that voters were being bought by as much as PHP3,000 per person.

Despite this, the Commission on Elections said that elections nationwide were “generally peaceful.”

Go, meanwhile, assured that the administration under President Rodrigo R. Duterte is doing all it can to alleviate poverty in the country.

“Ginagawa lahat ng gobyerno, ni Pangulong Duterte at sa abot ng makakaya ng kaniyang gobyerno na maiahon ang Pilipinas sa kahirapan po (The government under President Duterte is doing all it can to alleviate poverty in the country),” Go said.