COMELEC conducts media forum
By ALICE NICART (PIA Eastern
Samar)
April 25, 2007
BORONGAN, Eastern Samar – In
an apparent desire to conduct a clean, honest and credible May 14 elections, COMELEC Provincial Election Officer, Atty. Butz Beato appealed to the Sinirangan
Press (SP) Club to help them monitor the electoral process.
The SP which is dominated by
government information officers appeared at DYES-Radyo ng Bayan studio where
Atty. Beato awaited shortly for them to sit in majority.
Moderated by this writer, the
presscon raised several issues. Foremost was on the secrecy of the vote during
the casting. It was so suggested that the Board of Election Inspector who is the
teacher should not read allowed the number of the ballot underneath it. But the
Election Officer remarked both ways: he said that the loud announcement of the
ballot number is purposively done but he stressed there is no election office in
the act.
He said further that the
announcement bears two important purposes: it is generally favorable and
unfavorable (for the voter). Simply put when the BEI announces the number of the
ballot, watchers around are able to know the serial number of the ballots if
indeed they belong to the same numbers assigned to that particular precinct,
then it can be said that some illegal printings had been done beforehand and if
at all there are deals between and amongst voters and candidates, it is true
their preferred candidates can be known, Beato added. Thus his appeal for the
watchers and citizen volunteers to be vigilant for the conduct of a credible
election.
The issue on illegal posting
of election materials was also raised. The local press are witnesses of some
posters and streamers posted in non-designated areas in town. Beato again
reasoned out they are but a few persons in Comelec to monitor and apprehend all
these violations, precisely they deputized other agencies, PNP and DILG to help
them out on this problem. He however noticed that the barangay officials remain
inactive except for the officials of barangay Alang-Alang which is only a few
meters away from his office. He stressed further that streamers crossing the
major streets are definitely violative of Omnibus Election Code.
The forum closed with the
Election Officer saying his appeal to the voting public to help them in the
conduct of an honest, peaceful and credible elections.
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Barangay officials conduct ‘Operation Baklas’
