Philippine Elections in the Philippines PDF

PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE elections in the PhiliPPines Election is the formal decision-making process by which citizens choose public officials. The right to participate in elections is called suffrage and is an important right of citizens. Suffrage not only refers to the right to vote,...

PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE elections in the PhiliPPines Election is the formal decision-making process by which citizens choose public officials. The right to participate in elections is called suffrage and is an important right of citizens. Suffrage not only refers to the right to vote, but also the right to run for office. The plurality system is an electoral system where the candidate who gets the most number of votes is elected into office. This is the electoral system generally followed in Philippine elections. In the Philippine setting, the electoral process is discussed most extensively through the Batas Pambansa Bilang 881, otherwise known as the Omnibus Election Code. This code contains all of the rules governing the conduct of elections in the Philippines, including qualifications for aspiring election candidates, and dates important to the election process. It also contains provisions on the role of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). There are also organizations that keep close watch on the entire election process and perform other election-related tasks. These groups are referred to as election watchdogs. One of these is the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV). Accredited by the COMELEC in 2001, the PPCRV serves as the citizens’ arm in the conduct of elections. As such, the PPCRV spearheads programs specifically aimed at monitoring election results; providing education to the voting public and assisting voters in polling precincts on election day. Another election watchdog in the country is the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL). The NAMFREL coordinates with the PPCRV and the National Press Club of the Philippines (NPC) in performing its functions. The NAMFREL is also under the direct control of the COMELEC, and helps the Commission spread awareness on election-related matters. The Philippine Electoral Process The whole election process involves the participation of both the candidates and thevoters. On the part of the candidates, their involvement officially starts with their submission of certificate of candidacy (COC) to the COMELEC. By filing the COC, the aspiring candidate formally expresses his or her desire to campaign and run for office. Not everyone who submits a COCis automatically entitled to a spot in the electoral race, however. The COMELEC may still deem an applicant as a “nuisance candidate,” or with intent to “mock” the election process. The Philippine Electoral Process After the COMELEC announces the official list of qualified candidates for the elections, the campaign period officially commences. During the campaign period, the candidates and political parties engage in various activities to convince voters to elect them into office. According to the Omnibus Election Code, the election and campaign periods vary depending on the position a candidate is running for. Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates are entitled to a 90-day campaign period. Candidates for seats in Congress are allowed to campaign for 45 days. The same goes for those running for positions in the local government; however, the campaign period for barangay elections is limited to 15 days. The Philippine Electoral Process The Voters In order for a Filipino to participate as a voter in the elections, he or she must meetcertain qualiications, including being (1) at least 18 years old by the day of the elections (Sangguniang Kabataan voters must be 15 to 30 years old); (2) a resident of the country for at least a year; (3) a resident of the place where he or she will be voting for at least six months; and (4) not disqualified by law. A Filipino may be considered disquali ied to vote if he or she is found to have (1) been imprisoned for at least one year without pardon or amnesty; (2) committed crimes against national security; or (3) been deemed mentally incapable to vote The Philippine Electoral Process Conduct of the Elections The Constitution sets the national elections on the second Monday of May, while barangay and Sangguniang Kabataanelections take place on the last Monday of October. Since 2010, the COMELEC has implemented the use of the Automated Election System (AES) in the elections. The AES has several components. One of these is the Voting Counting Machines (VCM), which are also known as the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) Machines. Automated elections are expected to result in faster and more accurate vote-counting. Elections take place in polling precincts located in designated elementary and secondary schools in each barangay. In these polling precincts, voters fill out their ballots with their choices for each position from the local to the national level. These ballots are then enteredinto the vote counting machines to record the votes. These vote counts generated by the VCMs are referred to as Voting Counting Machines. The Philippine Electoral Process Conduct of the Elections After the votes for the specific precinct are counted, these are documented as certificate of canvass (COCs), which are certified by the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) composed of the assigned public school teachers and other volunteers. The BEI facilitates the voting in the precincts, and is assisted by poll watchers from the NAMFREL, PPCRV, and political parties. These poll watchers observe the conduct of polls and are authorized to file complaints regarding any violations or issues regarding the voting procedure. After the BEI certifies the tallied election returns, these are then transmitted to the other servers which are all part of the automated election system. The Philippine Electoral Process Conduct of the Elections The Philippine Electoral Process Conduct of the Elections The COMELEC anticipates various instances that may hamper or interrupt the elections, and has devised means to address such challenges. For example, elections may be postponed if they may be hamperedby violence, terrorism, loss or destruction of paraphernalia or records, as well as natural calamities. The COMELEC may also declare failure of elections in certain areas of the country due to the same reasons, as well as widespread electoral fraud. In such instances, the COMELEC may call for special elections, which shall be held not later than 30 days after the declaration of postponement or failure of elections. The Philippine Electoral Process Conduct of the Elections Aside from special elections, another special electoral event that may be called by the government is a snap election. Snap elections are held earlier than the date prescribed by the law. In 1985, President Ferdinand Marcos called for snap elections to be held in the following year in an effort to reassert his legitimacy and power in government. At that time, Marcos was facing growing opposition against his rule. The Philippine Electoral Process Philippine Elections: Issues and Challenges Electoral fraud Philippine elections have been noted for frequent occurrences of electoral fraud. Electoral fraud refers to any instance of illegal intervention in any stage of the electionprocess. Such instances include vote-buying and manipulation of vote ballots, among others. Election-related violence During every election, there are several reports of candidates resorting to acts of violence in order to secure votes or influence the elections to their favor. Election-related violence encompasses death threats or acts of murder committed against rival candidates and their supporters; deliberate damaging of campaign materials; and incidents of bombings and shootings that target rival candidates and civilians. Some candidates are said to hire military oficers or private gunmen to commit these acts of violence. Election-related violence is said to take place during the campaign period, on election day, and even during the vote-counting stage. Some election-related violent acts are also found to be committed even before the start of the campaign period.