Poll complaints of overseas absentee voters

Abroad absentee voters took to social media to air their frustrations in regards to the discrepancies and points they’ve skilled whereas casting their votes for the 2022 elections. 

Abroad voting started on April 10 and whereas some had been excited to vote, many Filipinos had been disenchanted of their ballot experiences. 

Probably the most notable of such experiences of ballots that had been allegedly pre-shaded with candidates not of their very own selecting.

Voters in international locations like Sweden, the US, Canada, Singapore, Dubai, and Hong Kong skilled what Philippine embassies later claimed as “human errors.”

Mark Dennis Chico Retrato, a Filipino voter in Sweden, in a Fb publish claimed that he acquired two mail ballots from the Philippine embassy.

Retrato stated he didn’t have issues with the primary poll he acquired on April 11, saying he checked the whole lot to make sure that his vote could be counted. Nonetheless, on the day after receiving the primary poll, the voter acquired one other poll that had his identify misspelled and didn’t have the return envelope from the Fee on Elections (Comelec).

Retrato added that the 2 ballots had completely different poll numbers and the opposite didn’t have the official stamp.

He despatched an e mail to the Philippine Embassy in Sweden concerning the matter and the workplace on April 13 launched a public discover, saying there could have been a component of human error.

Diana Castillo-Banares, a Filipino voter in Canada, commented on Retrato’s publish, saying there was additionally a discrepancy in her identify when she tried to assert her poll.

Castillo-Banares claimed that she crammed out her type appropriately when she registered for abroad voting. She was in a position to obtain her poll from the Philippine Embassy in Canada, which stated they might simply notify COMELEC in regards to the information discrepancy and warranted her that her vote will likely be counted.

“Di ko alam kung [typographical error] lang ba talaga yung nangyari o talagang could motibo…Hay Pilipinas kung mahal want talaga #BantayBoto!,” she stated.

One other voter based mostly in Singapore, Cheryl Abundo, stated her poll was pre-shaded. When she returned it to the Philippine embassy in Singapore to get a brand new one, the workplace stated it was a “spoiled poll” from the day earlier than she acquired it.

In her Fb publish, Abundo warned abroad voters towards such instances and known as on voters to be vigilant and file experiences if an identical incident occurs.

After posting her Fb standing, Abundo stated she acquired threats from a “random particular person.”

The risk learn: “Hello Cheryl Ab. Please do be sure you don’t make this shit up. Simply so you understand the final time somebody made up a narrative about politicians and did unfold on socmed, he was discovered lifeless three days after, smothered in his sleep to demise… I’m warning you.”

Different instances of pre-shaded ballots abroad

Some abroad Filipino voters stated that their ballots had been shaded with Ferdinand Marcos Jr. because the president and Davao Metropolis Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio because the vp.

The Philippine Embassy in Singapore, nonetheless, denied the allegations of pre-shaded ballots in Singapore.

Based on a CNN Philippines report, the embassy confirmed {that a} spoiled poll of Abundo was “inadvertently and unintentionally” given to a voter on April 11 however stated it was an remoted case.

In an announcement posted on its Fb web page, the Philippine embassy stated the poll was from a voting train on April 10. The workplace added that the incident is within the official minutes of voting for automated elections system (AES) voting posts.

On April 11, two senators, particularly Sens. Aquilino Pimentel III and Imee Marcos urged the Comelec to research the incidents. Senatorial wager and former Philippine Nationwide Police Chief Guillermo Elazar additionally known as on the electoral physique to conduct an investigation into the matter.

Regardless of the ballot incidents, Comelec stated on April 11 that some voting posts on the primary day of abroad voting had been profitable. 

On the identical day, Comelec stated pre-shaded ballot-related posts circulating on-line should not true, though the ballot physique stated that its job power towards pretend information was going to satisfy that afternoon to confirm the claims.

“Wala po kaming natanggap na report kahit sa ating publish, kahit na kaming mga opisyal natin dun sa Singapore and subsequently, pretend information po iyun. Could kumakalat rin po na sa Dubai daw meron ding [pre-shaded ballot],” COMELEC Commissioner George Garcia stated in a briefing at some point after abroad voting started.

On April 14, vice presidential aspirant Duterte-Carpio expressed help for calls on the Comelec to probe the pre-shaded poll allegations.

RELATED: What to do in case you see your poll pre-shaded