The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) reported today that their voters’ information drive in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are in full swing despite the spate of kidnappings, blackouts and floods that have hit several areas in the region.
“The COMELEC is determined to educate the people on the rudiments of automated balloting,” stated COMELEC spokesman James Jimenez, citing the invaluable help they received from the poll body’s system providers and its citizen’s arm.
“The reports we have been receiving from our people in the field are very encouraging. We commend them for their valiant efforts,” he said while expressing confidence that this would yield positive results come election day.
Citizens Coalition for ARMM Electoral Reforms Inc. (Citizens CARE), one of the accredited citizens arms by the COMELEC; in a press statement appreciated “the rapid voters’ education campaign of COMELEC and Smartmatic–Sahi in which they compensated on the time lost on the implementation of voters’ education.”
“We are optimistic that the voters education on poll automation will reach in due time to all electorates in the ARMM region,” said Salic Ibrahim, Chairman of Citizens CARE and Team Leader of the Regional Coordinating Council for the ARMM elections.
Citizen’s Care was among the participants in the COMELEC sponsored province wide electoral stakeholders’ forum cum launching of voters education campaign in Maguindanao held last July 08, 2008 at the Provincial Capitol, Shariff Aguak.
Smartmatic-Sahi is the poll body’s technology provider that is tasked to implement the Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) technology in Maguindanao for the 11 August 2008 automated ARMM elections. ###
