NAMFREL’s Agenda for 2016 Election

DAVAO CITY—The National Citizen’s Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), a non-partisan election watchdog in the Philippines, conducted a Mindanao Regional Assembly in Davao City last March 10 & 11, 2016.

NAMFREL National Chairperson David Balangue in his invitation said that the objective of the regional assembly is “to ensure the integrity and credibility of this year’s elections, Namfrel will involve itself in monitoring the whole of the electoral process as an accredited citizens’ arm of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).”

“To make our preparations reflective and more responsive to your local situation the Namfrel Council has decided to hold regional assemblies, instead of the usual National Assembly. Members of the National Council and the Visayas Regional Directors will be coming personally to meet you, hear your concerns, and explain the breadth of our operation,” he added.

NAMFREL’s Council member Cora Ignacio shared the overview of NAMFREL functions in May 2016 election.

She also said that they intended to strengthen this assembly for the reason of having an access to the official documents as we, citizens, have a right to know any information related to the conduct of the elections.

NAMFREL also presented the Election Cycle before, during, and after the election.

During the assembly, COMELEC presented a demonstration on how to use and the functions of the Voting Counting Machine (VCM).

Over 105 chapters attended the assembly, other delegates are from Cotabato, Compostela Valley, Zamboanga Peninsula, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Sibugay, Davao City, Lanao del Sur, Sulu, Tawi-tawi, Agusan, Iloilo, Bohol, Camiguin, Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, South Cotabato, North Cotabato and others.

According to Telibert Laoc, a NAMFREL council member, it was in the 1986 elections when election fraud was exposed through the organization.

He said that it came out after different results in counting of votes by NAMFREL and the Commission on Elections.

In 1986 presidential elections, Corazon Aquino won based on NAMFREL’s vote counts however, Ferdinand Marcos was declared as the winner.

Since then NAMFREL have continuously fought for a fair, unbiased elections, and minimized vote-buying in the country, according to Laoc.

For the May 2016 elections, NAMFREL is also running political education of voters, campaigning for peace and order throughout the election period, and pushing efficient use of government resources.

NAMFREL will also monitor election irregularities on election day such as fraud, coercion, intimidation, and violence.

NAMFREL will also take part in the counting of results at poll stations, transmission of votes at a central post, canvassing of poll station votes, and will act on grievances and protect cases to be filed after the elections. (Evangeline P. Adalid and Aimee Guito, HCDC Interns)