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STATEMENT: On separate occasions, candidates Mar Roxas and Chiz Escudero accused each other of not doing enough for their respective home provinces. Vice presidential bet Escudero, campaigning in Roxas City on Feb. 17, said Roxas could have done more for Capiz after years in public office. Among others, Escudero said the poverty gap in Capiz is “so

By MARIA FEONA IMPERIAL THE Commission on Elections has tripled the number of random manual audit (RMA) precincts compared to previous elections to boost public confidence on the accuracy of results, Commissioner Luie Tito Guia said Tuesday. From 234 precincts in 2013, a total of 715 precincts will be employed for the RMA this May,

EVEN if the high court decides that independent bet Sen. Grace Poe is disqualified from running for president, her name will stay on the official ballot for the 2016 polls, Commission on Elections Chair Andres Bautista said Tuesday. With nearly 10.5 million or one-fourth of the total number of ballots printed, Bautista said the poll

STATEMENT: During the first Comelec-sponsored PiliPinas Debates 2016 on Feb. 21, independent presidential candidate Sen. Grace Poe said,: “Kailangan na po ng replanting ng mga niyog. Sapagka’t tayo po ang fifth largest producer ng niyog sa buong mundo, pero hindi natin sila binibigyan ng sapat na suporta (We need to replant coconut trees. We are

By MARIA FEONA IMPERIAL IF it violates certain provisions of the fair elections law, the Commission on Elections may consider banning broadcast networks from airing the upcoming boxing match of senatorial aspirant Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao. Comelec Chair Andres Bautista said in a press conference Tuesday it is possible to do so since the poll

By MARIA FEONA IMPERIAL A broad range of national issues, ranging from poverty to illegal drugs and political dynasties, was tackled in the first leg of presidential debates last Sunday. For one electoral reform advocate, though, it would have made sense if the candidates covered issues closer to home. Pressing concerns in Mindanao could have

By MARIA FEONA IMPERIAL IT is possible, but highly unlikely to rig the 2016 elections and use it to favor a certain candidate, given the security features of the automated election system (AES), says an information technology expert. Only when there is “insider cheating” or conspiracy among those controlling the system can electoral fraud take

By MARIA FEONA IMPERIAL AFTER a series of delays, the Commission on Elections has finally started printing nearly 57 million official ballots for the 2016 polls. Comelec Chair Andres Bautista led observers, poll watchdogs and members of the media in a walkthrough today at the National Printing Office, the government agency in charge of the

Instruction: Hover the mouse over the placemark to see the barangay and district. You can zoom into to each point.

By MARIA FEONA IMPERIAL THE printing of official ballots for the 2016 presidential polls has been postponed anew, this time due to software issues, but this will not affect the timeline for the elections, the Commission on Elections said. The ballots were scheduled to be printed on February 8, but an incompatibility between the Election

By MARIA FEONA IMPERIAL DAY One of the official campaign season and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) gave candidates its last warning to remove illegally posted campaign materials within three days. Beyond that, the poll body said on Tuesday it will start issuing notices and citations to candidates and parties to take them down. Comelec

[metaslider id=33666] Text and photos by MARIA FEONA IMPERIAL WHAT are the features of an accessible polling place (APP) for voters with disabilities? The Commission on Elections on Saturday set up the Pura V. Kalaw Elementary School in Cubao, Quezon City as a mockup accessible precinct to show how an APP for the 2016 presidential elections