Poll watchdog to evaluate midterm elections

MANILA, Philippines - A stakeholders’ meeting will be held in September to evaluate the May 13 midterm elections, poll watchdog Consortium on Electoral Reforms (CER) said yesterday.

CER executive director Ramon Casiple said the summit would show what lessons could be learned from the recent elections and apply them in the 2016 polls.

“Whatever we can learn from the 2013 elections may be useful for the 2016 polls. We will be reviewing which aspects can be adopted and which can be changed for the next elections,” he said.

CER is organizing the summit with the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the Committees on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms at the Senate and House of Representatives, and other stakeholders.

Casiple said the summit would focus on the various issues like vote buying, the campaign finances of candidates and political parties, and the roles of political parties in relation to the campaign.