By NORODIN MANALAO
Citizens Coalition for ARMM Electoral Reforms

COTABATO CITY.— Despite the peaceful elections reported in most places in the country, voting in certain parts of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was marked by irregularities.

According to the Citizens Coalition for ARMM Electoral Reforms Inc. (Citizens CARE), an organization mandated by the Commission on Elections to monitor the various polling precincts in the region, the following incidents have been observed in the May 10 elections:

• brawls and the destruction of PCOS machines in the towns of Barira, Maguindanao and Indanan of Sulu;
• vote buying and selling;
• failure to post the Computerized Voters’ List on election day;
• use of children to distribute campaign materials on voting day;
• failure to apply indelible ink on the forefingers of voters; and
• disenfranchisement of voters through the unauthorized use of their names and the presence of “flying voters.”

In some polling places, CCARE also observed that PCOS machines were not sealed, particularly the memory card port. While voting was going on, there was general disorder inside the precincts.

Secrecy of voting was widely violated, with the absence of secrecy folders and with members of the Board of Election Inspectors filling up and casting multiple ballots. Most voters reportedly sat very near each other and would compare their ballots.

Some ballots were rejected by the machines because of ambiguous markings.

As a result of its observations, the organization recommended the prosecution of all those found violating election laws. For future elections, CCARE said there should be a dialogue with various stakeholders how to prevent vote buying and multiple registration and voting in future elections; conduct more trainings for BEI members, technicians and other election personnel to guarantee protection of the right to vote, including the secrecy of the ballot; and intensify voter education on poll automation, especially in the far-flung communities of the ARMM.

As an accredited poll monitoring organization, CCARE will be submitting its full report to the Comelec not later than 30 days after the elections. The report will include its analysis of the implementation of automated election procedures in the elections held at the ARMM.

To carry out its poll-watching activities,the group deployed at least 6,000 volunteers in 2,552 barangays in 118 municipalities in the ARMM, including the cities of Marawi, Cotabato, Lamitan and Isabela.