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History Of Voting In The Philippines

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INTRODUCTION There are actually two Christmas seasons in the Philippines. This means that there are also two seasons of gift-giving. The first kind, does not ask for something in return, while the second one does. The second kind is very interesting because it falls between February and May. Some may call it the dirtiest months of Philippine politics. Others don’t mind because they see it as a blessing in disguise. Given all these clues, you have probably guessed it by now. Yes you got it—Philippine elections. Elections in the Philippines has become an avenue for politicians to take advantage of the socio-economic status of the masses to put themselves in power. They follow the Machiavellian idea that the end justifies the means. They go through great lengths such that they make promises to people that they probably cannot fulfill. They even use unconventional methods to trick the masses into voting for them. Such is the practice of vote buying. Vote buying, in its literal sense, is a simple economic exchange. Candidates “buy” and citizens “sell” votes, as they buy and sell apples, shoes, or television sets. The act of vote buying by this view is a contract, or perhaps an auction, in which voters sell their votes to the highest bidder. (Schaffer & Schedler, 2006) In the Philippines, vote buying is number one in the list of Election Offenses under Article XXII of the Election Code of the Philippines. This code clearly prohibits vote buying, yet it is still persistent during

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