Wanted: Box monitors
The Commission on Elections ( Comelec) is looking for a group or individuals who can help monitor the receptacle or box where the voter receipts will be dropped after a voter casts his vote in compliance with the Supreme Court ruling that ordered the poll body to print voter receipts.
Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said they would be needing additional people as the three Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) assigned to the polling precincts would be busy supervising the conduct of the May 9 polls.
"We need people to help secure the box. One person each for the 92,509 precincts," Bautista added.
The poll chief explained that the task of the chairman of the BEI and the second member of the BEI is to give the ballot to the voter and check if the voter is in the Election Day Computerized Voters List. The task of the third BEI member is to help the voter feed the ballot into the vote counting machine and put indelible ink on the voter’s forefinger.
"We were thinking is there a need to have a fourth member of the BEI or should we just tap citizens arms for this?" Bautista queried.
Prior to the Supreme Court ruling, Comelec expressed fears that voter receipts can be used as a “tool” to promote vote-buying and vote-selling.
Asked about the training of the BEIs, Bautista said they are considering making use of the internet for the re-training of more than 200,000 BEI’s.
"We are looking at using video, website training. We have a meeting with the Project Management Office to discuss the timelines," he explained.
The same goes for the training of special BEIs for the overseas absentee voting (OAV).
"We are looking at either thru skype or webinar ... so they will know the process in the printing of receipts," Bautista said.
Additional expense Meanwhile, Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro who chairs the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms is concerned that the SC ruling would mean additional expenses on the part of government and dampen efforts to ensure clean, honest and orderly elections.
"It will adversely affect the timeline of the Comelec , including the technical and operational aspects of the preparation undertaken by the Comelec. And surely, it will also affect the actual conduct of the election including the training of the BEIs and the ability of the voters to use the vote counting machine and accessories plus the hundred of millions of additional expense on the government," he said.
Castro, a lawyer said the SC was "reckless" when it affirmed its March 8 ruling on the VVPAT.
"It might also affect our effort to come out and give our country a clean, honest, orderly and acceptable election because of what would be half hazard compliance with the decision of the Supreme Court because of its far reaching implications," Castro pointed out.(With a report from Charissa M. Luci)