Voters warned vs fake news on BARMM poll ballots

MANILA, Philippines — The public has been warned against a post on social media claiming that municipal employees or teachers have shaded some ballots ahead of the conduct of the first parliamentary election in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)  on Monday.

In an advisory released yesterday, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said there is no truth to a Facebook post published by netizen “Mapag Matyag” on the UBJP Sultan sa Barongis MDS group.

“The ballots for the election are being kept at the offices of the municipal or city treasurers in BARMM. The ballots were vacuum-sealed upon receipt and will only be opened on election day,” the Comelec said.

“It is the responsibility of the election officer and/or treasurer of each municipality or city to inspect the ballots within three  days of delivery to respective offices, to ensure that these were delivered securely and the quantity and labels are correct,” the Comelec added.

Any issue found with the delivered ballots must be immediately reported to the election command center located at the headquarters of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division.

The Comelec also denied allegations of a possible widespread power outage during the election.

The poll body said there is no need to be alarmed because each automated counting machine is equipped with a battery capable of powering the ACM for more than 14 hours.

The poll body said the ACMs are certified by an international certification entity and by the Department of Science and Technology.

The public has been urged to first verify before sharing any information, and wait for official announcements from the Comelec and other credible sources.