Sara Duterte Carpio backs Comelec probe into pre-shaded ballots
MANILA, Philippines — Vice presidential frontrunner Sara Duterte has supported calls for investigation into the reported pre-shaded ballots during the overseas absentee voting in Singapore and Dubai.
The chairperson of the Lakas - Christian Muslim Democrats called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to immediately conduct an investigation into the incident where her name in the ballots was supposedly pre-shaded.
"That my name was allegedly pre-shaded, along with some senatorial candidates, is grossly disconcerting," she stressed in a statement.
"As a politician, my experience has taught me that Filipinos do not respect those who cheat and engage in election fraud," she added.
Duterte said cheating in an election is not in her vocabulary.
"I take with great pride in the fact that my history in politics has never been tainted by cheating, fraud, and other election irregularities that could question my integrity and leadership," she swore.
"I never have and will never condone cheating. I won my past elections because the people voted for me," she added.
Duterte then called on Filipinos both in the Philippines and overseas to be vigilant against electoral fraud and ensure that your votes are protected.
Her running mate and presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. made the same call to Filipinos overseas.
“Let us continue to be vigilant and protect our democracy,” he said in a Facebook post.
The Philippine Embassy in Singapore said that there was an inadvertent incident in which a spoiled ballot was handed out to a voter on April 10, the first day of the overseas absentee voting process.
It, however, denied that pre-shaded ballots were being given to voters.
The Philippine consulate general in Dubai, on the other hand, also denied that pre-shaded ballots were given to voters.
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