Comelec clears Camille Villar of vote-buying allegations

Comelec headquarters in Intramuros, Manila. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has cleared senatorial candidate Camille Villar of vote-buying allegations after finding no substantial evidence to back the complaint filed against her.

In a resolution dated May 7 and signed by Teofisto Elnas, Jr., vice-chairperson of the Committee on Kontra Bigay, the Comelec said it found the claims insufficient to merit further legal action or 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,” the statement read.

The complaint was based on a February 12 social media post by an anonymous source, accusing Villar of engaging in vote-buying during an event in Cavite. However, the Villar camp clarified that the event took place on February 9 — before the official start of the campaign period — and did not constitute any violation of election laws.

Comelec took into account the explanation provided by Villar’s legal team, as well as supporting affidavits, which helped refute the allegations.

In a statement, Camille Villar expressed her appreciation for the ruling. “I thank the Comelec for the timely issuance of this resolution, junking the complaint of vote-buying,” she said. “I remain committed to running a clean campaign focused on my platform and programs to uplift the lives of Filipinos.”

The decision comes just four days before the May 13 elections, allowing Villar to continue her senatorial campaign without the burden of legal controversy.