Oro media hits Comelec decision on ‘absentee voting’

JOURNALISTS in Cagayan de Oro are all in favor of the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) decision to allow members of the media to vote earlier in the May 2013 elections.

However, they call it “discriminating” since only “national journalists” are given the privilege.

Cai Panlilio, a local correspondent of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, said she favors early voting of media practitioners, citing this will solve the problem of media practitioners being disenfranchised during elections.

However, she said this is totally unfair if those who are based in the province will be excluded.

“What is the basis for such ruling? Elections do not only happen in Manila,” Panlilio said.

Ed Montalvan, publisher of The Mindanao Current, said he has no problem with Comelec decision on early voting but he stressed that “what is given to Manila media should also be given to us.”

“If that is the case, then there is limitation that you can only vote for national candidates,” Montalvan said.

Bingo Alcordo, vice president of the Cagayan de Oro Press Club (COCP), said he finds it “stupid and irresponsible” for Comelec to limit this privilege only to media practitioners identified as “national media.”

Alwin Saliring, field reporter of radio station dxCC, also expressed dismay on the Comelec decision, calling it very “discriminating.”

Stephanie Berganio, reporter of Sun.Star SuperBalita, said Comelec should also consider allowing local media to also vote since national and local media are all the same.

Berganio calls herself an “absentee voter” since she can’t go to her hometown to vote to give priority to election coverage.

Art Bonjoc, ABS-CBN station manager, said this is a great development but asked the Comelec why only the national media.

“Why not include the local media who are also busy covering the election?” he said.

In its decision last week, the Comelec approved a petition filed by national media practitioners asking them to be accorded with the same voting privilege for soldiers, policemen and other government employees under the rule on local absentee voting.

But the petition filed before the Comelec only applies to early voting “by media for national positions.”

Aquilino Pimentel III, chair of the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation, earlier filed Senate Bill 1198 providing for absentee voting privilege for members of media organizations by amending the law on absentee voting (Republic Act 7166.)

During the hearing of the Select Oversight Committee on Suffrage headed by Pimentel, many media practitioners complained that they were basically disenfranchised because they were on coverage far from where they were registered.

“I am glad that the Comelec, on its own, has corrected this injustice to media practitioners. It is an irony that the members of the fourth estate are not able to exercise their right in a democracy that they themselves strive to strengthen through their work,” Pimentel said in a statement.

He added that he would still push for the passage of the bill he sponsored, especially given the dissenting opinion by Comelec Commissioner Christian Robert Lim, who argued that allowing early voting by media is outside the authority of the Comelec as RA 7166 has specified only the members of the military and the police as beneficiaries of absentee voting.

“I think we should still amend RA 7166 to cover media practitioners and to ensure that they can vote early not only on national positions but on all elective posts, should this be administratively possible,” Pimentel said.

He added: “So while I welcome the Comelec decision, I think we can still expand the absentee voting privilege given to the media. And to erase all doubts as to Comelec’s power to include the media in the local absentee voting system. We should pass my bill into law.”