For information and dissemination to interested parties, below are relevant provisions of COMELEC RESOLUTION No. 7740 on poll watchers for the elections.  The official counting and canvassing of ballots will be held on 14 May 2007 at the Reception Room of the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok, from 2:00 pm, local time, onwards.

ARTICLE IV - WATCHERS

 Sec. 16. Watchers. – Each candidate, political party, and parties, associations or organizations participating in the party-list system of elections, accredited citizens’ arms and accredited OFW organizations shall be entitled to one (1) watcher during the voting and counting of votes. For this purpose, each candidate, political party, and parties, associations or organizations participating in the party-list system of elections, accredited citizens’ arms and accredited OFW organizations shall submit to the Posts, copy furnished the COAV, its list of watchers per SBEI not later than five (5) days before the start of voting period. However, if there is no sufficient space for all watchers to be accommodated, preference shall be given to the watchers of the dominant majority and dominant minority parties as determined by the Commission, one (1) common watcher for the independent candidates, one (1) common watcher for the accredited citizens’ arms and one (1) common watcher for accredited OFW organizations.

 Sec.17. Qualifications of watchers. – No person shall be appointed watcher unless he is a qualified overseas absentee voter in the Post where he is assigned under the Overseas Absentee Voting Act; is of good reputation; has not been convicted of any election offense or any crime; knows how to write and read English or Pilipino; and is not related within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity to the chairman or to any member of the SBEI in the Post where he seeks appointment as watcher.

 Sec. 18. Rights and duties of watchers. – Upon entering the polling place, the watchers shall present and deliver to the chairman of the SBEI their appointments and forthwith, their names shall be recorded in letter “C” of the Minutes of Voting with a notation under their signatures that they are not disqualified to serve as such. The appointments of the watchers shall bear the facsimile signature of the candidate or the duly authorized representative of the political party, organization or coalition of coalition parties who appointed them or of organizations authorized by the Commission. For this purpose, registered political parties, organizations or coalitions authorized by the Commission, accredited citizens’ arms and OFW organizations, shall provide the Commission and the Posts with the names and signatures of their representatives authorized to appoint watchers in each Post at least fifteen

(15) days before the voting period.

The watchers shall have the right to: (a) witness and inform themselves of the proceedings of the SBEI; (b) take note of what they see or hear; (c) take photograph of the proceedings and incidents, if any, during the counting of votes, as well as of the election returns, tally board and ballot boxes/receptacles; (d) file a protest against any irregularity or violation of law which they believe may have been committed by the SBEI or by any of its members or by any person; (e) obtain from the SBEI a certificate as to the filing of such protest and/or resolution thereon; (f) read each ballot after it shall have been read by the chairman, as well as the election returns after it shall have been completed and signed by the members of the SBEI without touching such documents; and (g) be furnished, upon request, with a certificate of votes cast for the candidates duly signed and thumb marked by the chairman and all members of the SBEI.
 

Watchers shall not speak to any member of the SBEI, or to any voter, or among themselves, in such a manner as would disturb the proceedings of the SBEI.

 
Sincerely yours,
 
For the Ambassador:
 
MR. RONELL B. SANTOS
First Secretary and Consul General
Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines
760 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok 10110
Kingdom of Thailand
Tel. +(66-2) 259 0139/40
Fax +(66-2) 259 2809

www.philembassy-bangkok.net

Recommend this article...