What's legal among these campaign tacks? Boto Patrollers ask

MANILA, Philippines - BARELY a month to go before the May 10, 2010 elections and members of the Boto Mo, iPatrol Mo: Ako ang Simula movement of the ABS-CBN continue to question and bewail a seemingly lackluster effort by authorities to educate voters and prevent massive illegal campaigning.

The reports began coming in months before, but have intensified in recent days as elections come nearer.

During the recently concluded voters’ education campaign for overseas Filipino workers in Singapore, for instance, Filipinos expressed apprehension about the new technology to be used in voting. Many said this is because they are not computer literate.

Others expressed fears about how vulnerable the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines, which will be used to count the manually filled ballots, might be. Funny and trivial some questions relating to the PCOS machines, for instance, might seem to be, these still reflect uncertainties voters have about the new system of elections.

Overseas absentee voters in Singapore, and even voters in the Philippines, ask, for instance, what happens to the machines if it is (accidentally) spilt with liquid. Will the PCOS machine stop functioning? Has the Comelec banned bringing of liquid into polling precincts then?

Incidentally, the Comelec has yet to issue guidelines about this.

The recent wave of brownouts have also worried the Patrollers. Many have expressed fears that intermittent blackouts could happen on election day itself. If this happens, would there be enough generators to power the PCOS machines. Otherwise, does this mean that failure of elections is not far behind?

Boto Patrollers have also been calling attention to the local candidates’ recruitment and employment of ‘coordinators’. These people are paid P300 daily, and are made to sign an agreement committing their support for candidates. On one hand, this scheme could be taken simply in the light of the need to buttress a candidate’s army of supporters. On the other — and since money is exchanging hands — this could constitute vote-buying, or offering money in return for guaranteed support on election day. Patrollers ask why candidates would choose to pay when the monies they are shelling out could be used to help needy constituents. Coordinators recruited now run to the hundreds, BMPM members report, and Patrollers are wondering where candidates are getting money to pay them.

Similarly, BMPM members are asking if candidates could, as they have done during past elections, field as much as 20 watchers per polling precinct to watch vote canvassing. Considering that candidates have to, at the very least, provide meals for these watchers, Patrollers are asking where candidates would get money to pay for this kind of expenses.

Another very common complaint of Patrollers is the reckless disregard for rules on common poster areas and poster sizes. Weeks before the formal start of the campaign season for local candidates on March 26, Boto Patrollers have been sending hundreds of reports and pictures of posters in non-common poster areas, and vote-for-me signs way beyond the allowed sizes.

Patrollers ask whether the Comelec, the election watchdogs, the police or even the Metro Manila Development Authority lifted a hand to clean or bring down these buntings and campaign paraphernalia of local candidates that have littered our walls and streets.

Another tack that caught Patrollers’ attention is the radio programs — not political ads — of candidates on radio. Since candidates appearing in television shows and movies were deemed unfair advantage and the practice therefore banned, Patrollers are asking whether it is legal for the same candidates to be having their own radio programs.  

Another famous question among Patrollers is the legality of those out-of-town “seminars” of barangay captains being sponsored by the provincial government. Given the nearness of elections, and the sponsors of the trip are higher officials up for reelection, the motive behind the seminars is suspect.

Because of these concerns, Boto Patrollers have been requesting ABS-CBN to come up with how-to instructional shows or plugs to help them get ready for elections. The level of interest is inspiring because this possibly reflects how much hope people are pinning on these elections, and how much they look forward to exercising their right to vote.  

Boto Patrollers may send their news reports, tips, photos, videos and other election related materials through email at [email protected] through SMS/MMS to 2366 (type IREPORT<space>name, address, age, gender). They may also leave 30-second voice messages to the BMPM-Bayan Voice SMS system at (02) 4112676.