Human Rights Online Philippines

COMELEC lauded for speedy Baguio & Comval response, urged to allow “live-streamed manual counting” for “special cases”

Multisectoral partylist group Sanlakas lauded the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) for a “speedy response” to the ballot switching in Baguio and Compostela Valley and urged the commission to allow for “special cases” of poll failure “live-streamed manual counting” monitored by mainstream media and social networks.

“We know that COMELEC is doing all it can to make every vote count, as fast as it can. Maybe it can do better by conducting tech-assisted manual counting for similar incidences,” Sanlakas Secretary-General Aaron Pedrosa said.

Pedrosa believes that the combined power of mainstream and social media can discourage anomalies in manual counting and canvassing in small cases, and can do away with the need to conduct special elections.

“It might be easier for COMELEC to conduct manual counting in cases similar to Bgy. Lualhati’s involving 638 voters, as long as it is closely monitored by the public,” Pedrosa said.

Accountability

Pedrosa also said that the people responsible for the “Baguio and ComVal mishap” must be held accountable and be prosecuted.

“Electoral justice necessitates penalties to people responsible. Since we do not know yet whether this is accidental or concious on their part, we need an urgent investigation on the matter,” Pedrosa said.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE

Contact Person: Aaron Pedrosa, Sanlakas Secretary-General @ 0932-364-3137
Val De Guzman, Media Liaison @ 0919-965-7509

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