The Commission on Elections, through an en banc resolution, ruled that all complaints of alleged voter disenfranchisement in the August 11, 2008 automated elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) be properly documented and verified.
“Every election, there is a deluge of complaints of alleged registered voters who are not able to vote for various reasons. While some claims could be meritorious, some could also be a ploy designed to discredit the election process,” the COMELEC said in Resolution 8502 promulgated August 5, 2008.
As such, the poll body ruled to “adopt a system of documentation to check the veracity of these claims, to identify the cause and extent of the problem, address the same and prosecute those responsible, if any.”
The COMELEC stated that any person who was not able to vote for whatever reason may report the incident by himself or with the assistance of another to the Election Officer or the Board of Election Inspectors, accredited citizens’ arm or media entities. In order to verify the report, the complaining person shall be interviewed to obtain the information needed by using the specified format for said purpose.
The COMELEC furthered that reports should be submitted not later than August 31, 2008 through fax to (02) 5273137 or email to ebad@comelec.gov.ph or through any means of communication to the Registration Division, Election and Barangay Affairs Department (EBAD), 7th floor Palacio del Gobernador Building, Commission on Election, Intramuros Manila. ###
