Manila, June 6 -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday said it has recorded 277 cases of abuse of state resources (ASR) in the May 12 midterm polls.

During the exit conference of the Committee on Kontra Bigay (CKB), Comelec Commissioner Ernesto Maceda Jr. described ASR as an "insidious and systemic form of electoral interference."

"It tells us that traditional vote-buying remains widespread but the abuse of state resources has emerged as a more insidious and systemic form of electoral interference," he said.

"It exploits the machinery of government to favor certain candidates, blurring the lines between public service and partisan gain," he added.

Based on CKB data, the 277 ASR incidents reported in the May elections includ...