Press Release
May 8, 2013

Drilon to voters: Do not accept money, gifts

Don't sell your votes.

Team PNoy campaign manager Sen. Franklin M. Drilon made this warning on Wednesday/May 8 in the wake of reports that certain quarters are out to lure voters into selling their votes with six days to go before the polls.

"I appeal to the electorate not to accept money from candidates or their emissaries in exchange for your votes. Kapag ginawa ninyo yun, tayong taumbayan ang matatalo sa huli dahil mga corrupt ang mailalagay sa pwesto," said Drilon.

He said these practices in the past should not be resurrected under the watch of President Aquino, who is strongly against electoral fraud.

"Let us safeguard our votes against cheaters and poll manipulators, whether they will come from the opposing party or the ruling party," Drilon advised voters.

He also warned voters not to accept, free of charge, directly or indirectly transportation allowance, food, and drinks during Election Day as these undermine the integrity of the election.

Drilon dismissed allegations that the administration is poised to manipulate the results of the elections, saying "insofar as the President and Team PNoy are concerned, cheating is out of the equation."

"This administration never tolerates fraud and cheating. Let us not forget that the cleansing of voters' list in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao was made possible during the Aquino watch," he said.

"If cheating in order to win is our goal, we would not have exercised efforts to remove the thousands of ghost voters in the ARMM, where most cases of electoral frauds took place," he added.

Drilon called on the people to be vigilant against election fraud and report irregularities immediately to authorities.

"Ensuring an honest election is a duty not only left to the government; it is the responsibility of every citizen of a nation to safeguard their votes," said Drilon.

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