Comelec to voters: Scrutinize your candidates

MANILA, Philippines — The remaining days before the May 9 national and local elections must be used by over 65 million Filipino voters to scrutinize their candidates, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) chief urged yesterday.

“Let’s thoroughly scrutinize our candidates. We still have more than two months to do this,” Commissioner Socorro Inting, Comelec acting chair, said in Filipino during the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with online news website Rappler at the Comelec main office in Intramuros, Manila.

Under the MOA, Rappler will help the Comelec in its initiatives such as the MovePH Collaboration, Comelec online show, Radyo Comelec podcast, workshops and seminars, fact-checking, PHVote microsite and precinct finder, said Inting.

She said the partnership with Rappler should help the Comelec make its load lighter, especially in fighting misinformation, disinformation and fake news.?She enjoined the electorate to go out and exercise their right to vote on May 9 and ensure that, apart from following their conscience, they have an informed choice.

“Most of all, let us vote according to conscience and correct information,” Inting said in Filipino. “Lastly, I remind and exhort Rappler and all our official partners to be non-partisan.”

NPC protests MOA with Rappler

But the National Press Club (NPC) was quick to protest the agreement in a two-page letter to Inting, claiming that the Comelec had picked a news agency with a record of bias as its partner.

“We are registering our protest because just like most Filipinos and just like you, we too, would want to see and experience a clean, credible, honest and transparent election the result of which may well decide the country’s future in the coming years. But your choice of Rappler, certainly, is a step in the wrong direction,” NPC president Paul Gutierrez said in the letter.

“It is an established fact that Rappler has a spotty record when it comes to the dissemination of ‘truthful information’ considering its record of gross bias in its reportage that resulted in its current legal woes. We are sure that you are familiar with them by this time,” he added.

Gutierrez called on the attention of Inting about Rappler’s being a foreign-funded media outfit contrary to what is provided under the Philippine Constitution and emphasized that its chief executive, Maria Ressa, has been convicted of criminal libel before a Manila court.

“We can go on and on citing reasons why we object to your MOA with Rappler. But our central message is, the credibility of the coming election that we all aspire for is not enhanced by your choice. At the end of the day, it is still your judgment call and we do hope that no ‘outsider’ has influenced the Comelec in arriving at your decision,” Gutierrez said.

“Still, let it be put on record that this MOA does not have the unanimous or majority support of the members of the Philippine press nor of the majority of self-respecting Filipinos,” he added.

Neither Inting nor Comelec spokesman James Jimenez was available for comment as of yesterday afternoon.

Jimenez, though, announced that the vice presidential debate will be held on March 20, Sunday, or a day after the first presidential debate set for March 19.

He said that all nine vice presidential candidates have signified their intention to join the debate except for Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza, running mate of presidential candidate Sen. Manny Pacquiao, as he is set to undergo surgery.