Chapter Eight Official Watchers

Miranda, Romeo Paulo T.

Official Watchers of Candidates, Political Parties and other Groups

Who are ENTITLED to ONE WATCHER in EVERY POLLING PLACE? > EACH INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE > REGISTERED POLITICAL PARTY or Coalition of Political Parties DULY REGISTERED with the Commission fielding CANDIDATES in the Election. > ACCREDITED CITIZENS ARM

 Candidates for SENATOR, BOARD MEMBER, and COUNCILORS of the SAME TICKET / SLATE shall COLLECTIVELY be ENTITLED to ONE WATCHER If BECAUSE OF LIMITED SPACE all watchers cannot be accommodated in the polling place preference shall be given to the watchers of: DOMINANT MAJORITY PARTY, DOMINANT MINORITY PARTY, & CITIZENS ARM

 Other civil, professional, business, service, youth, and any other similar organization SHALL BE ENTITLED to COLLECTIVELY appoint ONE WATCHER in EVERY POLLING PLACE, upon prior authority of the commission

QUALIFICATIONS of WATCHERS
REGISTERED VOTER of the CITY / MUNICIPALITY COMPRISING the PRECINT where he is assigned. of GOOD REPUTATION has NOT been CONVICTED BY FINAL JUDGEMENT of any ELECTION OFFENSES or any CRIME knows how to READ and WRITE FILIPINO, ENGLISH, and LOCAL DIALECT.

 NOT RELATED on the FOURTH CIVIL DEGREE of CONSANGUINITY or AFFINITY to the BEIs in the POLLING PLACE where he seeks appointment as WATCHER NOTE: SUBMISSION of the COMPLETE LIST of NAMES and SIGNATURES of the REPRESENTATIVES AUTHORIZED to APPOINT a POLL WATCHER: 15 DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION DAY

DUTIES of WATCHERS
DELIVER their APPOINTMENT to the BEI CHAIRMAN upon ENTERING the POLLING PLACE NOTE: the CHAIRMAN shall RECORD the NAMES in the MINUTES with an NOTATION under their signature that the watcher is not disqualified Not to speak to the BEI / VOTER or among themselves which will disturb the proceedings of the BEI

 If AVAILABLE affix their signatures and THUMB MARKS in the ELECTION RETURNS, in the case of WATCHERS representing: > Dominant Majority Party > Dominant Minority Party > Citizens Arm

Printing of Election Returns

TRANSMISSION of RESULTS

Affixing the SIGNATURE of the WATCHER to the Election Return

THUMBMARKING the Election Returns

PCOS MACHINE with TRANSMISSION MODEM

WATCHERS SIGNATURES

Election Returns

Election Return GIVEN to the Citizens Arm for the Unofficial Count

Rights of Watchers
WITNESS and INFORM themselves of the PROCEEDINGS of the BEI

Opening of the PCOS BOX

Initialization of the PCOS MACHINE

Tearing of the unused ballots

 Take NOTE of WHAT THEY SEE and HEAR

FIXING DOCUMENT JAM

 TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS of the PROCEEDINGS, and INCIDENTS if any during the VOTING and CANVASSING

Closing of Votes

 Take PHOTOGRAPHS of the GENERATED ELECTION RESULTS

 Take PHOTHOGRAPHS of the BALLOT BOXES.

 File a PROTEST against any irregularity or violation of law which they believe may have been committed by the BEI or any person OBTAIN from the BEI a CERTIFICATE as to the PROTEST and the RESOLUTION

FOR THE COMELEC CITIZENS ARM

To be GIVEN a COPY of the Election Return to be used for the conduct of Unofficial Count

Challenges AGAINST ILLEGAL VOTER

Any VOTER or WATCHER may CHALLENGE any PERSON offering to VOTE for > Not being Registered > Using the NAME of ANOTHER PERSON > Suffering from EXISTING DISQUALIFICATION

 Upon the RECIEPT of CHALLENGE, the BEI shall require the CHALLENGED VOTER to present PROOF of > Registration > Identity > Qualification

 The BEI SHALL IDENTIFY the VOTER in the Election Day Copy of the Voters List (EDCVL) through his / her Photograph Fingerprint Specimen Signatures

 In the ABSENCE of the PROOF of IDENTITY, ANY BEI MEMBER may IDENTIFY UNDER OATH of a VOTER an such act shall be reflected in the minutes

Challenges BASED on ILLEGAL ACTS

A VOTER / WATCHER may CHALLENGE anyone who wants to vote on the grounds THAT HE RECEIVED / EXPECTS TO RECEIVE MONEY / ANYTHING of VALUE as CONSIDERATION for HIS VOTE or FOR the VOTE of ANOTHER Made / Received a promise Influencing / Withholding of any Vote Made a BET or Directly Interested in a BET depending the RESULTS of the ELECTION

 To be ABLE TO VOTE, a CHALLENGED VOTER shall TAKE AN OATH before the BEI that he has not committed any of the acts alleged in the challenge If HE REFUSES to take an OATH, the CHALLENGE is SUSTAINED and the CHALLENGED VOTER shall not be allowed to vote.

Admissions of Challenged Vote

The admission of the challenged vote under the two preceding sections (Sec. 199 [illegal votes] & Sec. 200 [illegal acts]) shall not be conclusive upon any court as to the legality of the registration of the voter challenged or his vote in a criminal action against such person for illegal registration or voting Section 201, Omnibus Election Code

Records of Challenges and Oaths

The POLL CLERK shall keep a prescribed record of challenges and oaths taken in connection therewith and the resolution of the BEI, upon the termination of voting he shall certify that it contains the challenges made The ORIGINAL COPY SHALL BE ATTACHED TO THE MINUES of the VOTING Sec. 202 Omnibus Election Code