Comelec junks vote-buying case vs. Villar, cites lack of evidence

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he Commission on Elections (Comelec) has cleared senatorial bet and Senatorial candidate Camille Villar for alleged vote-buying due to lack of substantial evidence.

The Committee on Kontra Bigay ruled in a resolution dated May 7 that the claim against Villar is insufficient to proceed with disqualification proceedings. 

“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,” Committee on Kontra Bigay Vice-Chairperson Teofisto Elnas Jr. said in the resolution.

On April 22, a show-cause order was issued against Villar accused of being involved in vote-buying for being present in a raffle with cash prizes given.

She responded to the petition on April 25, explaining that the event took place on February 9 – two days before the official start of the campaign period and did not constitute any violation of election laws.

The poll body took note of Villar’s response and considered it to have “satisfactorily explained the circumstances surrounding the reported act of alleged vote-buying.”

Villar welcomed the Comelec’s decision and reiterated her commitment to clean campaigning.

“I am pleased to share that the Committee on Kontra Bigay has dismissed the vote-buying allegations against me for lack of basis,” Villar said in a statement.

She ensured that no laws were broken and reiterated that the event in question happened before the campaign period.

“From the very beginning, I stood firm that no laws were broken. The truth is clear: the event in question was held before the official campaign period and was a legitimate promotional activity, not a political one. I remain focused on serving the people with integrity, commitment, and purpose,” Villar said.

The decision to junk Villar’s vote-buying allegations came days before the 2025 midterm elections, where the Pulse Asia Survey released last Monday shows that she is among the 14 candidates to make it to the ‘winners’ circle.”

Contrary to Villar, Pasig City congressional candidate Christian “Ian” Sia was disqualified by the Comelec on May 7 over discriminatory remarks against women. 

Sia violated Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code and Section 3 of Comelec Resolution No. 11116, which prohibits discrimination against women during the campaign period.