Voters cast their votes during 2016 national elections.
Based on assessment of the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections or NAMFREL, this year’s election showed a high level of trust from the public and the election was far more orderly than the automated elections in 2010 and 2013.
One aspect that’s truly commendable is the increased voter turnout that reached to 81% in the Philippines and 31% overseas.
The transmission rate of the election results was also high as there was not much complaint about ballot rejection and the incidence of discrepancy on voters’ receipt was only a few.
Election-related violence was also minimal as it reached to only 60 cases as compared to 81 in 2013.
NAMFREL also praised how the losing presidentiables and vice presidentiables conceded, and the simultaneous proclamation of the winning senators and partylist groups.
However, the group scored against certain aspects that should be improved.
Some of these are the misdelivery of ballots; incomplete and inaccurate computerized voters list; and the lack of training among board of election inspectors that’s why the execution of some provisions in the general instructions had varied.
The poll body also failed to arrest those who violated the election laws such as the law on illegal campaign posters posted in unauthorized areas; distribution of campaign materials near the voting centers on the day of the election even the campaign period is over; and vote buying.
NAMFREL also criticized the incidents of malfunctioning vote counting machines that reached up to 2,000 units and the stopping of transmission of election results when it was already about 96.69%.
There was also a high rate of over and undervotes.
Meanwhile, the group wants to investigate why no voters identification sheet was distributed before the election for the voters to know their precincts ahead of time, when in fact, there was an alloted budget for the procedure and the contract was bid.
For its part, the Commission on Elections says it will evaluate the circumstances as to how it will improve its service in the future elections.
“We will be doing an evaluation conference in July wherein we want to immediately get our COMELEC Main and COMELEC field personnel to think what has been done good and what should be improved,” COMELEC Chairman Andres Bautista said.
The poll body is hoping that the next administration and the Congress will approve the reforms the agency plans to implement.
“I would think like that that if our reforms are good and for the betterment of our elections and the people, they would support them,” Bautista added.
(VICTOR COSARE/UNTV News)
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