Comelec uncovers plan to disrupt May 10 polls

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) revealed on Monday that they have been receiving "credible" information that there are plans to delay or prevent some voters from voting on election day. "What's happening (is that) some individuals will purposely delay the voting in some areas to prevent voters from voting," Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said at a press briefing. Larrazabal explained that the plans would entail disrupting the voting process to delay, prevent, or discourage voters from taking part in the elections on May 10. Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said they cannot divulge yet who the people behind the supposed plans are. "We cannot give you names... we have to be very careful (because of) who are and who are not involved," he said. Jimenez noted, however, that the information came from several credible sources "all over" the country. "We evaluated some of them and we've found them credible," he said.

Jimenez hinted that the supposed plans could be part of some candidate's "political strategy" to prevent his or her opponents' supporters from voting. "These are one of the groups looking at. (But) you can only shut out the supporters for a short period of time," he said. He added that another possible motive behind this is to discredit the poll body and the conduct of elections itself so that the results of the automated polls can be challenged easily. Larrazabal, for his part, said they have already told their board of election inspectors (BEI) to "take appropriate action" in case voting proceedings are disrupted on election day. Jimenez said that the BEI would ask a voter who has stayed for more than 10 minutes inside the precinct to fasten voting. He said voting should only take about seven to eight minutes. He also said that the BEIs have the option to call the police if a "disruptive" incident takes place inside the precinct. "They should always be alert on election day," he said. He said that disrupting the electoral process constitutes an election offense, which is punishable by disenfranchisement, disqualification from holding public office, and imprisonment of one to six years. But Jimenez said that punishment would still depend on the crime. — RSJ/KBK, GMANews.TV