A FORMER official of the Commission on Elections expressed concern at the poll body’s failure to issue amended general instructions even as the month-long automated elections for overseas Filipinos starts today.
In an interview, former Comelec commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal feared that without the amended general instructions, voters may bring home the printed voter’s receipt.
“What will stop the voters from taking the printed voter’s receipt out from the polling precincts? Nothing,” Larrazabal said. “The Comelec needs to publish the GI because you [have to] make the taking out of the voters receipt as an election offense.
A day before the OAV automated polls started, the Comelec failed to issue the amended general instructions for election inspectors because some of the Comelec commissioners were out of the country.
“There are senior staff who are more than well versed in election,” he said.
“In fact, the revision of the GI will not consume a lot of time. You can revise it in two to three days. It’s been a month since the Supreme Court released the decision,” Larrazabal, who is one of the pioneers of the historic and first ever automated elections in 2010, added.
He warned that without the revised GI, the Special Board of Election Inspectors abroad will have a hard time implementing the rules on the receipt since they do not have basis.
“Yes, there is a general instruction. But we need to incorporate the decision of the SC. You might say, the BEIs were trained before the SC ruling, but right now there are no rules. What will be their basis? Nothing, because there are no rules,” he said.
In an interview, Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said they are looking to file election offense cases against voters who will try to bring out the voter receipt and file “frivolous complaints” which may cause delay in the election process.
“Our problem is, as you know, there is a possibility that some voters may slip out of the polling place with the receipt, or some might be able to replace the receipt,” Bautista told reporters.
The poll chief said the poll body has decided to come up two election offenses to prevent such instances and ensecure a credible, honest and clean elections.
“So there are two election offense, 1) if you bring the voter’s receipt out from the polling precinct; and 2) if you file a frivolous objection,” Bautista said.
Bautista said the Omnibus Election Code provides that it is considered a prohibited act for an individual to cause confusion over the voting processes.
Earlier, the Comelec had already said that taking out the voter receipts, instead of placing them in the designated receptacle, would be considered as an election offense which carries a penalty of one to six years of imprisonment, removal of right to vote, and disqualification from holding public office.
Meanwhile, Comelec spokesman James Jimeenz reminded all candidates running for national posts that they can no longer campaign abroad with the start of the overseas absentee voting.
“The Comelec would like to issue a reminder that campaigning abroad is no longer allowed. It is time to let our compatriots choose who they want to vote for,” Jimenez said.
Based from the Comelec Resolution No. 9981, campaigning abroad is prohibited from April 9 to May 9, which is the period for casting of votes by overseas voters.
The Overseas Voting Act of 2013 provides that all forms of campaigning abroad within the 30-day overseas voting period shall be prohibited.
Violation of the said provision is considered as an election offense, which carries the penalty of one to six years imprisonment, removal of right to vote, and disqualification to hold public office.
