Report election truthfully

GUIUAN, EASTERN SAMAR, Philippines  – The Comelec-Region 8 office has urged media practitioners in Eastern Visayas to report truthfully the election processes in their respective areas, may they be irregularities or peaceful activities.

Comelec-8 Director Jose Nick Mendros issued this statement when he met with at least 60 journalists during the 12th Express It At The Park anniversary celebration held at Tubabao Cove Resort in this town of Eastern Samar last Saturday.

“If it is a peaceful election, please report it, too,” Mendros told reporters, adding that some of them usually find election proceedings boring if these are “uneventful.”

Mendros fielded several questions from the reporters about various instances during their previous coverage of the elections.

“We are short on manpower and we could not keep an eye over all the polling places. If you see any untoward incident or unlawful act, report it to us,” he told them but with the reminder to do it truthfully.

“There are some instances when situations need to be resolved and we act on them on a case-to-case basis,” Mendros said.

“One of the best things that the media can do is to help voters locate their precincts,” he suggested, while asking the journalists to also apply for accreditation on the proper time set by the Comelec itself.

“Please seek accreditation so you can cover the election proceedings,” Mendros reminded them, citing situations where some mediamen, due to overzealousness for immediate actions on their complaints, would eventually discover that they were not even accredited with the Comelec.

Mendros also informed the media that Comelec-8 is recommending at least a PCOS machine for every 500 voters unlike in the last elections when the PCOS/voter ratio was one to a thousand.

He said there were a number of lessons that the Comelec learned in the last elections and that recommendations and actions are now being studied to lessen, if not eradicate, the problems.

Meanwhile, Comelec-8 has presented to the local media the calendar of activities for the 2013 election during the seminar on “Role of Media during Elections” also last Saturday.

The filing of certificates of candidacy will be on October 1 to 5; the registration of voters will be until October 31, 2012.

The declared election period will be from January 13 to June 13, 2013, when any government employee or civil servant is not allowed to transfer and that no movement of officers from the election period will be done through this period.

The campaign period for national candidates will be from February 12 to May 11, 2013, while for provincial and local candidates will be from March 29 to May 11, 2013; and casting of votes for absentee voters will be from April 13 to May 13.

“To assure that the PCOS machines will function according to the desired design and purpose, the testing and sealing of these machines will be from May 6 to May 10, three days before Election Day,” Mendros said, adding that implementation of the gun ban, use of security personnel or body guards will be strictly enforced. — (with reports from Avha H. Ebalde of PIA-8)