PPCRV: Usual poll woes mar 2007 balloting
05/14/2007 | 09:31 PM
Voters’ disfranchisement, electioneering and vote buying were among numerous complaints received by the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) during Monday’s nationwide balloting.
Reports released by PPCRV Secretary General Bro. Clifford Sorita indicated that out of 33 cases reported to their hotline, 15 were classified under the election fraud category.
Included in the election fraud category were vote buying, misinformation, electioneering, presence of flying voters and disfranchisement of voters.
“When voters are disfranchised, people’s
participation is diminished and when that happens our democracy also suffers," PPCRV National Chairwoman Henrietta de Villa said in a press briefing at the Pope Pius XII Center in Paco, Manila .
De Villa said they are keeping a tally how many voters were actually not able to vote due to the clustering or relocating of precincts.
“(This is) not only to try to catch the deliberate plan for disfranchising [we would] give suggestions later on because if the preparations were done early enough these things could have been avoided," she added.
The other half of the cases included election-related violence with six cases, irregular election procedure (nine cases) and other concerns (four cases).
Election violence included incidence of intimidation, coercion, killings, peace and order disruption while irregular election procedure included readiness of Board of
Election Inspectors (BEIs), completeness or delivery of election paraphernalia, orderliness of the polling centers or precincts, manner of voting and counting
and procedure in the counting of votes.
Other concerns included relationship with Comelec, BEIs, media and other election stakeholders; presence and mobilization of PPCRV volunteers; voters assistance desk concerns, and performance of PPCRV
volunteers.
Citing an earlier interview of former Comelec chairman Christian Monsod, De Villa raised the alarm after noting that 112 people have reportedly been killed.
“He said in 1992 there were 60 cases of people killed (election related), in 1995 about 70 plus, in 1998 around 86, in 2001 its 131, in 2004 its 180 plus but for this elections as of last week 112 have been
killed already and still counting," she said.
“I’m sure before the counting and the canvassing (of votes) are over this would still increase," she added.
In fact, she said one of their volunteers and BEI companions were reportedly ambushed in Abra while transferring election paraphernalia.
“These are very disturbing things. But we’re glad that the Comelec acted on it," De Villa said. - GMANews.TV
Reports released by PPCRV Secretary General Bro. Clifford Sorita indicated that out of 33 cases reported to their hotline, 15 were classified under the election fraud category.
Included in the election fraud category were vote buying, misinformation, electioneering, presence of flying voters and disfranchisement of voters.
“When voters are disfranchised, people’s
participation is diminished and when that happens our democracy also suffers," PPCRV National Chairwoman Henrietta de Villa said in a press briefing at the Pope Pius XII Center in Paco, Manila .
De Villa said they are keeping a tally how many voters were actually not able to vote due to the clustering or relocating of precincts.
“(This is) not only to try to catch the deliberate plan for disfranchising [we would] give suggestions later on because if the preparations were done early enough these things could have been avoided," she added.
The other half of the cases included election-related violence with six cases, irregular election procedure (nine cases) and other concerns (four cases).
Election violence included incidence of intimidation, coercion, killings, peace and order disruption while irregular election procedure included readiness of Board of
Election Inspectors (BEIs), completeness or delivery of election paraphernalia, orderliness of the polling centers or precincts, manner of voting and counting
and procedure in the counting of votes.
Other concerns included relationship with Comelec, BEIs, media and other election stakeholders; presence and mobilization of PPCRV volunteers; voters assistance desk concerns, and performance of PPCRV
volunteers.
Citing an earlier interview of former Comelec chairman Christian Monsod, De Villa raised the alarm after noting that 112 people have reportedly been killed.
“He said in 1992 there were 60 cases of people killed (election related), in 1995 about 70 plus, in 1998 around 86, in 2001 its 131, in 2004 its 180 plus but for this elections as of last week 112 have been
killed already and still counting," she said.
“I’m sure before the counting and the canvassing (of votes) are over this would still increase," she added.
In fact, she said one of their volunteers and BEI companions were reportedly ambushed in Abra while transferring election paraphernalia.
“These are very disturbing things. But we’re glad that the Comelec acted on it," De Villa said. - GMANews.TV
