MANDAUE mayoral candidate Jonkie Ouano has lodged a formal complaint before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) against rival and former mayor Jonas Cortes, citing an alleged election violation on the day of voting.
According to Ouano’s camp, a watcher affiliated with Cortes was seen wearing an identification card that contained the candidate’s name, photo and ballot number — a move they claim constitutes electioneering and breaches Comelec regulations.
In response, Atty. Jamaal James Calipayan, representing the Cortes camp, dismissed the allegations, asserting that no law prohibits watchers from wearing such IDs.
“There is no violation. No law prohibits specific identification of the legal representation of the candidate during elections,” Calipayan stated. “This ID format assailed by the opponent is being used by other parties and candidates such as Ako Bisaya and the Liberal Party. It merely indicates who the watcher represents, and it contains no message urging voters to choose a particular candidate.”
Calipayan further pointed out that Ouano’s own watchers had their IDs printed with the candidate’s name — along with the logo of “Ouanocare,” a known campaign vehicle and that their legal team wore shirts bearing the same branding.
Watcher ID
However, Comelec 7 Director Francisco Pobe offered a contrasting view. He emphasized that watcher identification should represent the party, not the individual candidate.
“If an ID bears the candidate’s name, that already constitutes campaign material propaganda,” he said.
According to Pobe, Comelec rules prohibit watcher IDs that carry a candidate’s name, as these could influence voters and are considered a form of campaigning. / CAV