Lakas sample ballots are legal

CEBU, Philippines - For Commission on Elections (Comelec) legal chief Ferdinand Rafanan, he sees nothing illegal or irregular in the sample ballots used by the camp of incumbent Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza and his entire slate of Lakas-CMD-Kampi.

Rafanan made the statement during the re-orientation of over 100 public school teachers who will act as board of election inspectors (BEIs) in Lapu-Lapu City in connection with the proper operation of the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines.

During the re-orientation held at the Lapu-Lapu City Sports Complex, a teacher who brought a sample ballot with holes opposite Lakas-Kampi-CMD candidates asked Rafanan if Comelec would allow voters to bring this to the precinct.

Opposition mayoralty candidates Efrain Pelaez Jr. and Junard Chan of Liberal Party and Nacionalista Party’s (NP) Junard Chan, respectively, are in the race with the wife of Mayor Radaza, Paz.

Both LP and NP have sought a ban on the use of sample ballots with holes beside the names of candidates of Lakas-Kampi CMD. They want the administration slate, headed by Radaza, stopped from distributing the ballots to voters since the party believes they will be used to buy votes.

But Rafanan said the alleged handing out of copies of such ballots is not illegal.

“Hindi illegal and walang batas na nagbabawal diyan. Malaking tulong po yun sa mga botante,” Rafanan said, adding that candidates can innovate if only to guide the electorate in voting for them.

A voter can place the acetate copy on top of the actual ballot and shade the ballot circles bordered by the acetate copy.

Rafanan said that even an “illiterate” can vote with this innovation.

The sample ballots of Lakas distributed to their supporters bear red circles beside the names of administration party’s candidates.

Pelaez and Chan alleged that the sample ballots could be used to buy votes. But Rafanan pointed out that “vote buying” has been there ever since.

“Sample ballots can be used as vote buying? Pwede pero it’s a matter of choice. Kung ayaw nila nang sample ballot na yun, pwede naman nilang tanggihan,” Rafanan said, adding that no candidate in his right mind would want to include the names of his opponents in the sample ballots.

The petition of the LP and NP has already reached Comelec-Manila but the decision has not yet been released.

Sought for comment, Harry Radaza, a candidate for councilor, was happy with the legal opinion of Rafanan.

But LP congressional candidate Eugenio Espedido, for his part, said that the scheme will confuse voters.

Espidido said his group will file a protest demanding Comelec to produce a guideline on what voters could bring with them inside the polling precinct.   (FREEMAN NEWS)