Is it okay to sell my vote?

Vote buying is a real problem that continues to dictate the cycle of politics in the Philippines. While it is illegal, the reality is that vote-buying happens with every electoral cycle due to low efforts in preventing them. With the high-stakes election happening this 2022, Filipinos find themselves asking: is it okay to sell my vote?

In principle, a Filipino’s vote is an exercise of his right. He should be able to vote for whoever he wants however he wants. He should not be pressured by other forces such as violence or money to cast his vote. Because the Filipino’s vote is sacred, he should reject any pressures that are seeking to attack the integrity of his vote.

This is in principle.

But the reality is that in a third-world country like the Philippines, you can’t eat your principles for breakfast. In this country where almost 20 million live under the poverty line, it is very difficult to worry about getting your principles straight when you first have to worry about whether or not you can feed your family tomorrow morning when you wake up.

In the Philippines, your vote for any local position might be bought anywhere from 300 to 500 pesos. Votes for the national positions cost more, around 500 pesos and up. In dollars, that is around 10USD and up for a national position vote. It might seem cheap for some of us but to those in the D&E economic classes, 500 pesos is worth a week’s worth of dinner for the family.

There are those who take the money and vote according to whom the money is intended for. This may be because they might feel indebted to the candidate who handed them out the cash or this may also be because there are poll watchers for that candidate who bought votes who are checking if the people they gave money to will actually vote for the candidates that they were instructed to vote. Then, there are also those who take the money but still vote according to who they want to vote for.

No matter where you fall in this spectrum of Filipinos’ voting habits after their vote has been bought, it really boils down to your decisions. Will you sell your vote in exchange for a week’s worth of dinner, newly rebonded hair at the salon, or new shoes from the mall? Or will you choose to not sell your vote and instead, vote for the truthful candidate who will secure your future?