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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Use verified paper trail rule for ballots in May polls, Comelec urged

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The election transparency watchdog Mata sa Balota has petitioned the Commission on Elections to use the Verified Paper Audit Trail or VVPAT to ensure clean polls on May 13 and avoid widespread cheating as was alleged for the 2016 elections.

Atty. Melchor Magdamo, one of Mata sa Balota’s lawyers, also asked the Comelec to enforce the Supreme Court ruling on the VVPAT.

He said the law allows a voter’s VVPAT to be photographed to be used as proof for potential cheating on the results of the vote counting machine or VCM.

Magdamo said according to Section 179 of the Omnibus Election Code, poll watchers and even the public are allowed to take photographs of the proceedings or any incident inside a voting precinct.

In reviewing the results of the 2016 national elections, Mata sa Balota said a lot of irregularities in the voting process were uncovered.

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One of this is the early transmittal of results from a voting precinct in Camarines Sur using a different IP (Internet Protocol) address than what was registered for it, said Magdamo, a former Comelec Chairman’s Office Attorney VI.

“Our group wants a Clean, Honest, Accurate Meaningful and Peaceful Election or CHAMPE in the May midterm polls, that’s why the public should join us in guarding our ballots,” he said.

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