Monday, May 10, 2010

My Nation, My Vote, My Experience


Today is an historical moment for the Filipino nation for many firsts. It is the first time for the youth to have their voice, with half of the 42 million registered voters belonging to the youth population, ages 18-33. It is the first time for new voters. It is the first time to have a fully automated voting in place. It is the first time that the Filipinos will not have to wait for lenghty days to finish counting ballots. It is the first time that 9 candidates are vying for the presidential post.

I was probably too excited for this election that I could not sleep.I had to get up my bed when the cocks cockled. I showered so early, like I was going to work. Then I asked my mom with eagerness to get to the polls early. As usual, I turned on the TV and saw candidates headed early to their polls. Edu Manzano was in an island somewhere in Iloilo. Surprisingly, not so long years ago, he was the Vice Mayor of Makati, although his family residence was somewhere in Bicutan. Manny Pacquiao and his wife Jinky were in the polls even before they openned.There was both order and chaos in the precints.

At the first hour, there were throngs of people gathered at public schools already. Lots and lots of papers were scattered all over the polling stations.How much was spent to all these? How many trees were cut down to print special sample ballots that only keeps the names of the candidates or their allies. Crazy, the most recent sample ballots from candidates that I got have so many blank spaces, and the names that appear represent various parties. I guess I should believe that Philippine politics is not really partisan politics, but indivdidual politics.

On Manila papers, responsible individuals have placed maps of the school with the baranggay numbers to give directions to the voters. To facilitate the voting process, there are people who would rather keep a queue, no matter how long it takes and how many twists and turns it would get. The PPCRV main desk could be found right there at the lobby, they are equipped with a computer that has online access. Some supervisors of the PPCRV have radio communications to coordinate activities and report spurious incidents.

In our precints, seats were provided in a designated waiting area. A room was assigned for two baranggays. But the room was only occupied by the voters from our baranggay. Ten by ten, poll watchers call in voters. In the polling area, ten were lined up near the BEI desk, and ten more were lined up near the door. It was just a crowd. When our turn came, there were just very few inside, and I saw someone who was not really there in designated waiting area. Nobody even knew that person. As we idly stood there waiting, we got more curious about how the PCOS machine work, we got closer to it, which angered one BEI officer.

I blamed the pollwatchers for calling us in when it was not really our turn yet. I thought, the crowding in the room could confuse the BEI and to minimize the crowd, they will resort to more efficient but not foolproof process. Just like they never really ask us for a valid ID and they never really looked at the picture. I just told my name and the registration number which was posted in the voters registration list posted outside, presto I got the ballot. My cousin just pointed to his name and reiterated the number (not the registration number)and he also got a ballot. Without verifying the identity of the voter, this process makes the election prone to fraud.

There were so many poll watchers, each representing a party or a specific candidate. I find this chaotic, because there is really no sense of watching voters. POLL WATCHERS from parties may not be necessary at this type of voting. When the BEI asks for 10 voters to come inside the precint, another watcher would call another ten. With so many calls, the 10 voters come to be tripple. Poll watchers are not just necesasry because they add to the crowd inside and outside the precints. There is PPCRV, a COMELEC recognized entity, then what are Poll watchers for? At the sidelights they only take the opportunity to be close to voters then at the least try to sway voters for the candidate who paid them fees for poll watching. With so many people inside the precint, a malicious individual can sneak in and do something with the machine and so maligning the system and the validity of the process.

Five people can man the polling station. In our precint, I saw this could work. One BEI personnel can handle the validating voters identity. The other BEI personnel can give the ballot, the secrecy folder and pen, then register the voter as confirmation that a ballot has been given. The next BEI personnel should be assigned to the PCOS machine to assist voters, and likewise keep a manual tally of approved and disapproved cast ballots. Two PPCRV volunteers can help the BEI personnel, one of which should be assigned to keep the flow of voters entering and leaving the precints, the other can stay inside to keep a close watch of the proceedings and to readily assist voters if they may need help in filling out their ballots.

Poll watching is not a career, it is every Filipino's responsibility. Poll watching is not watching the voters, but keeping the integrity of the electoral process, and the sanctity of the ballot. Unaware of these fundamental concepts, the BEI and partisan poll watchers are not promoting democracy but leaving it prematurely prone to corrupt practices.

Since schools are designated polling stations. Volunteers should prepare seats and waiting areas for the voters. Immediate attention or preference should be given for the Senior Citizens, persons with disabilities or individuals who underwent or are in severe medical conditions (ie.stroke, asthma, rheumatism, etc.) since they can not stay waiting for a long time in the precints during hot summer days. My aunt who suffered a mild stroke came in with us and even got to the polls minutes earlier. She was registered in another precint, a precint that was just not so systematic in managing the flow of voters. They gave numbers to voters, 50 at a time. With my cousins, we finished earlier voting in another precint. Ten more finished, and she was still waiting with her daughter without a number.

A police nabbed one pollwatcher in our precint, because he did not really attend the required seminar for poll watchers and that his identity could not be verified or supported by anyone from our baranggay. The police were alert and responsive to calls. In our area, there are organized civic groups who work closely with the police officers to keep peace and security. At least, with this I noticed a responsive government unit.

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