Comelec launches voting infomercial

MANILA, Philippines - Less than two weeks before the May 13 polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has released a voter education video reminding the electorate of “Do’s and Don’ts” on election day.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the video has been posted on the video-sharing site YouTube and will be uploaded on the Comelec website. The poll body will also request television networks to air the infomercial.

Titled “Boy Bawal – Tina Tama,” the new video is the third installment of Comelec videos for TV audiences showing the proper way to campaign.

“This is the culmination of our bawal (prohibited) and tama (correct) campaign. We want to show to the public the correct things to do and what are the prohibited things,” Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said.

Produced by the Education and Information Division of Comelec, the new video runs for 3:54 minutes and features Boy Bawal and Tina Tama – the characters that separately encouraged candidates to comply with campaign rules in the first two Comelec videos.

In the third video, Boy Bawal and Tina Tama remind voters to look for their names in the voters’ lists posted outside the polling precincts and to present valid identification cards, not residence or barangay certificates.

They also remind the electorate not to “over vote” – to vote only for 12 senatorial candidates and one party-list group.

Voters are also told that while they are allowed to bring their cellular phones inside the polling precincts, they are not allowed to take pictures of their ballots.

Doodling or making extra marks on the ballots and drinking beverages inside the polling precincts are not allowed, as these may damage the ballots.

Voters are also reminded to have their forefingers stained with indelible ink after casting their ballots and then to immediately leave the polling precincts.

“These are just simple reminders on the voting process. We have to repeat these constantly so that our voters will not forget,” Brillantes said. “The media have been very helpful, they always play our video.”

Meanwhile, the Comelec starts today the field testing and sealing (FTS) of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines.