Pelaez files plaint vs. use of "codigos"

CEBU, Philippines - Lapu-lapu City Liberal Party Mayoralty candidate Efrain Pelaez, Jr. and his group, the “Kalihukan sa Katawhan alang sa Kalambuan (KKK), formally registered a complaint in the Commission on Elections (Comelec)-Regional Office yesterday against the use of voting guide folders and are seeking a definitive ruling on what are acceptable “codigos” that the voters may bring along with them to the voting booth.

Pelaez and his group are urging the commission to completely and permanently ban and prohibit the use of voting guide folders with pre-cut holes, and like materials, in the national and local elections.

Pelaez and his party are accusing administration candidates identified with the Lakas Kampi-CMD party in Lapu-Lapu City of having prepared the guide folders with pre-cut holes that correspond only to the oval-shaped spaces opposite the names of certain candidates on the official ballot.

“Itupong ang pangalan, tauri ug paper clip, ug ituman kutob sa pula,” Lapu-Lapu district Congressional candidate lawyer Eugene Espedido read this alleged instructions in front of the press.

Espedido said the material is an illegal device intended to influence and control the vote of the voters.

“We are strongly yet respectfully registering a complaint against the use of voting guide folders with pre-cut holes that correspond only to the oval shaped spaces opposite the names of certain candidates on the official ballot, as prepared and proliferated by the administration candidates in Lapu-lapu City, and are seeking a definitive ruling on what are acceptable “codigos” that the voters may bring…” the group stated in a letter directly addressed to Chairman Jose Melo.

The group said the voting guide folders which are designed for shading or blackening process is made through the holes punctured thereon, thereby shading or blackening in effect only the oval-shaped spaces opposite the names of the administrative candidates.

Espedido continued: “The drill leader will then instruct the voters to return the voting guide folders after using the same to a designated person who would be posted outside the voting center. Certainly, the instruction begs the question why should it be returned if not for any purpose related to vote buying,” they continued in the letter. 

Espedido explained the three grounds for filing the complaint. “First, it violates the principles of sanctity and secrecy of the ballot, because a voter’s vote is already indicated; second, it is a vote-buying scheme; and third, it is not the codigo contemplated by law because the codigo is prepared by the voter himself, which is the list of candidates he is going to vote,” he said.

Pelaez said that what the other group is doing is an elaborate and expensive scheme which purpose is to identify the way they [voters] vote. He simplified that it is clearly explained in a joint-affidavit of witnesses that the activity is intended for vote buying.

According to him, out of 10 witnesses who testified about the alleged voting training conducted by the Lakas party in many barangays, only two signed the joint-affidavit because they are afraid of physical threats.

Therefore, Espedido said that they are asking the Comelec to completely and permanently ban and prohibit the use of voting guide folders with pre-cut holes and the like materials in the national and local elections.

But according to him, he is saddened because a person in the Comelec said that there’s nothing wrong with it. “I beg to disagree because the instruction and explanation given is a clear vote-buying…the use of illegal codigo is already a violation,” Pelaez said.

The group said the ballot is sacred, thus it should not be associated with fraud.