A MONTH before the 2019 midterm elections, National Citizen’s Movement for Free Election (Namfrel) said that the Commission of Election (Comelec) has not accredited them yet as an election watchdog.
“As far as we are concerned, we are not yet accredited and we haven't received a resolution coming from them,” Namfrel secretary general Eric Jude Alvia said on Friday, April 5, during the Namfrel Mindanao Regional Assembly at The Royal Mandaya Hotel.
Alvia said that the citizen's arm group already filed for accreditation last December 2018. He said that Comelec has not taken any action regarding their request.
“What took them too long? That's the question we are asking. Unlike the other groups, they were already accredited,” he said.
Alvia cited poll watchdogs Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting’s and the Bangsamoro Free Election Movement that were already accredited by Comelec.
Namfrel bared during the assembly that the group will shift from its core monitoring activity of conducting a parallel vote tabulation, or the Operation Quick Count, which was introduced since the group's creation in 1983.
Alvia said the shift was due to the country's advancement in conducting elections, since the automated election system (AES) was adapted in 2010.
Aside from monitoring the AES and assisting the Comelec with the conduct of the Random Manual Audit, Namfrel wants to design and implement an Open Election Data Website, wherein transmission and tabulation of election results will be monitored in real time.
He said that the proposal would mean that the group is seeking for data connection to the election commission.
However, Alvia said that Comelec is hesitating their data website proposal that might be the reason why Namfrel's accreditation was delayed.
“Aside from tracking the machines and the election paraphernalia, we also wanted to track the election results. We wanted to track the chain of transmission of election results every step of the way,” he said.
“With the automated election, humuhugot lang tayo ng data na binubuga ng makina. How can you compare, whether it be media or political party, kung isa lang ang source natin? We want to get an independent validation source ng diiferent documents,” he added.
However, the Namfrel council member said that Comelec would be open to their proposal, to intensify and improve the elections in the country.
Alvia hopes that the Comelec will decide on their request immediately, so that Namfrel can immediately take necessary actions.
Meanwhile, Namfel has an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 volunteers nationwide.