Comelec executive apologizes for ballot delivery delays

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday issued an apology over the delays in the delivery of election paraphernalia that hampered the conduct of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls last Oct. 25.

“We apologize for the delays that happened causing much anguish and pain among our voting public,” said Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento in an interview.

Asked if such an apology is an admission of fault, Sarmiento said it was an “apology in a sense that there was really a delay.”

“It’s true that there were delays, even Chairman Jose Melo had expressed dismay. Under the Constitution, the ultimate enforcer of all laws related to election, referendum and plebiscite is the Comelec. We cannot detach ourselves from these delays. I think it proper to say that we apologize,” he added.

The synchronized polls in 2,463 out of the 42,025 barangays across the country were postponed last Monday due to late delivery or failure to deliver the election paraphernalia in some polling precincts or election-related violence.

Sarmiento, however, said that in general, the conduct of the elections was not a failure.

“I’m going to scale it between 7.5 and 8. It is not 9 or 10 considering the delays,” he said.

He also gave assurance that the Comelec intends to rectify the problem primarily by determining the real cause of delays through a fact-finding committee that was created to investigate the matter.

He urged Comelec officials and employees and others who may have information about what happened to come out and help in the investigation.

Sources revealed that some Comelec personnel had deliberately sabotaged the packaging of the supplies so that they themselves would be able to deliver the materials to their destination instead of the forwarding companies.

Those who made personal delivery were able to draw as much as P50,000 in cash advances for food allowance, per diem, rental of vehicles and hotel accommodation.

The investigation of the panel will cover the bidding processes, printing of the paraphernalia and packing and shipments of supplies. 

Pimentel: Heads should roll

Because of this, former Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. called for an amendment to the laws governing the poll body in order to ensure transparency in the conduct of probes against its own members and processes.

Speaking in the weekly forum at the Senate, Pimentel expressed concern that the Comelec’s probe into the alleged poll sabotage of the recently concluded elections could end with a cover-up because of the existing rules used by the poll body on these matters.

“At the moment, if a Comelec personnel violates any provision of the law, he cannot be investigated by other departments,” he said, emphasizing that there is a tendency to cover-up any wrongdoing or anomaly because anything committed by the lower ranking personnel would also affect the higher-ups.

“I am amazed not only at the failure to deliver the election paraphernalia on time, but also the acceptance of spoiled ballots and other election paraphernalia, costing the government something like P14 million,” Pimentel said.

“How did that happen when there’s supposed to be transparency in the bidding and people are supposed to exercise great caution in the acceptance of supplies that are delivered pursuant to a public bidding? Some heads must roll in this regard, and as soon as Chairman Melo gets back from his vacation in Hawaii, he should tackle this issue,” he added.

Melo, who is reportedly looking to retire early, is currently on vacation in Hawaii.

Teachers want their duty pay on time

Meanwhile, field officials of the poll body were warned against withholding the allowances of teachers who served as Board of Election Tellers (BET) in the last elections.

“The money has already been forwarded to provincial election supervisors and election officers. The money is there,” said Sarmiento.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) yesterday complained that many BET who served in the Oct. 25 elections have not been given their P2,000 honoraria, much more the P1,000 for those who served during the special polls held last Oct. 26 or 27.

The Comelec and the Department of Education have agreed to ask President Aquino to earmark another P1,000 for each of the BET. Some 490,000 teachers have served in the elections.

ACT secretary-general France Castro claimed that it was the Comelec’s fault that the synchronized polls have been messed up but it was the teachers who had to carry the burden and yet they are not adequately compensated.

“The Comelec has again exhibited its slowness in issuing the poll duty pay compensation which they should know as employees themselves is much awaited by the teachers to help them in their daily expenses. We don’t deserve this kind of treatment,” Castro said.

Sarmiento did not discount the possibility that the money had been withheld deliberately. 

“In the past, we have a case of ‘hold-up me.’ One officer pocketed the money. In one or two instances, it happened in the past,” he said.

He said erring poll officials could be held accountable for violation of civil service rules, Code of Ethics for public officers and employees and Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

“If we come to know that there are election personnel who are delaying payments when, in fact, the money is with them, we will take appropriate disciplinary action. We cannot tolerate this kind of habit on the part of some of us to delay the payment to teachers who deserve this amount,” Sarmiento added. –With Rainier Allan Ronda, Marvin Sy