National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Program
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Concept
Message from the Office of the President
National Voters’ Education Summit
Bayview Park Hotel, Roxas Boulevard, Manila
May 26 - 28, 2003
“My warmest greetings to the participants of the 2003 National Voters’ Education Summit.
The holding of an honest, peaceful, and orderly elections in 2004 is a priority of my administration.
The national and local elections is a vital process that upholds our democratic beliefs and is an important
step towards a strong Philippine republic. Thus, we are actively pursuing reforms not only to safeguard
the integrity of the electoral process but also to modernize the method of balloting and to enable the
participation of Filipinos abroad through absentee voting.
In the political front, we are also pushing for a framework wherein parties will be able to give
voters a choice base on programs rather than on personality and patronage. These reforms are crucial in
creating a more mature Philippine democracy.
Equally important as these reforms is voters’ education, which our administration is also pursuing.
A mature and discerning electorate will help protect and facilitate the gains we have made by putting into
office competent, hardworking, and dedicated public officials.
In this light, I thank the convenors for organizing this summit which aims to coordinate various
election education initiatives. May this summit succeed in making a more informed and discerning electorate
for the 2004 elections. I also hope that this summit will pave the way for continuing cooperation among
stakeholders for voters’ education initiatives in the future.
More power and mabuhay!
Signed, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo”
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Messages
Message from the Speaker of the House
National Voters’ Education Summit
Bayview Park Hotel, Roxas Boulevard, Manila
May 26 - 28, 2003
“My warmest congratulations to the participants of the National Voters’ Education Summit scheduled
on May 26, 2003.
The right of suffrage is enshrined in the constitution and is exercised and respected in all democratic
societies. It is the means by which people express their sovereign judgment. Every time the enfranchised
citizen votes to exercise this sovereign will, the essence of representative democracy is translated into
living reality. Every assurance must be made and guarantee adapted to ensure the free and intelligent
exercise of the citizen’s free choice. It will destroy the essence of popular democracy if this fundamental
right is impaired and its orderly exercise impeded.
Your summit, with the widest participation of all concerned sectors, not only is timely but is also
relevant as we prepare for the May 2004 elections. The intelligent exercise of the right to vote is necessary
to deepen the gains of our democracy amid a political culture known for years for vote-buying and
organized fraud. This culture must be reformed to enable us to elect leaders who are qualified and
accountable.
Congratulations to the convenors and organizers of the summit. I wish you great success.
Signed, Jose de Venecia, Jr.”
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Messages
Speech delivered by
Mr. Vince Dizon, in behalf of Sen. Edgardo Angara
Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Constitutional
Amendments and Electoral Reforms
National Voters’ Education Summit
Bayview Park Hotel, Roxas Boulevard, Manila
May 26 - 28, 2003
First of all I would to apologize for the senator for not being present here today. He’s actually on
his way back from abroad. He’s arriving tonight from the United States. He asked me to talk in his behalf,
and to congratulate the organizers of this very important forum especially the Consortium on Electoral
Reforms (CER) and of course the UNDP.
In 2001, when the senator began his third term as senator, just two years ago, I remember a day
when he called all of us—his staff—together to a meeting with him, when he wanted to talk about what
his plans were for his third and most probably his final term as a legislator. And I remember very vividly,
him telling us that his priority for his third and most probably his last term would be political and
structural reform. As you probably all know the senator has been very active in the reform agenda of the
government. He started with reforming education, then he moved on to agriculture, and healthcare. But
he said that for his last term from 2001 until 2007, he will focus his priorities on political and structural
reform. And he mentioned two very important reforms. First of all he said we need to now begin and
within the next two to three years reform our constitution. So constitutional reform is his first priority.
And secondly, his priority with regard to political reform is electoral reform. So those two things he told
us would be his priorities for his third and final term as a legislator. Maybe it was luck, maybe it was
destiny, he was given the chairmanship of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Electoral
Reforms in the Senate and that was the signal that he took to really push for these two very important
reforms that are for him our country badly needs—constitutional reforms and electoral reforms.
For electoral reform, he said that he wants to focus on three things. First, he wanted to finally
make sure that the absentee voting law, which had been practically dead in Congress for the past fifteen
years, be finally enacted. And with the help of Cong. Lapus in the House and other members of Congress,
that has finally become a reality. The absentee voting bill is now a law. And hopefully if things go well it
will be fully implemented next year in the 2004 national elections. Secondly, he said, we should also
prioritize finally, and make sure we implement this in 2004, we should finally implement poll modernization,
which has been a law since 1996 and it has taken us so long for us to fully implement this. And hopefully,
again, with the help of Congress, with the help of the House of Representatives, the COMELEC and other
agencies in government will finally have a modern electoral system by 2004. And lastly he said the third
leg that we should work on with regards to electoral reform is civic literacy or as we call it voters’
education. This is crucial, as Cong. Lapus and Usec. Gascon has told us earlier, this is crucial for us to
transform our very backward and immature political system to one that is mature, to one that is responsible,
and to one that will really bring out the best leaders that our country deserves and our country needs.
And he said that focus on voters’ education should be primarily on the youth—the young people, for
simple reasons. First of all, more than 40% or close to 50% of our electorate is between the ages of 18
to 34. We are probably one of the most young electorates in the world. And sad to say, very few of those
young voters are really educated about how they should vote but more importantly, who they should
vote for, what basis should they have in electing their leaders, both national and local leaders. And this
is where the Consortium on Electoral Reforms, Congress, institutions on governments such as DECS and
CHED should play very, very important role. And I think we are all on the same page in trying to address
this very, very important problem on voters’ education or civic literacy.
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Speeches
Let me just tell what the senator has been trying to do, not through legislation, not through his
work directly in the Senate, but he has worked, he has partnered with several civil society organizations
such as CER, such as the La Salle Institute of Government, such as the National Institute for Policy
Studies, and a group that was formed, I think Usec. Gascon is part of this, the Civic Education Network.
Last February, here in the same venue here at Bayview, there was a major workshop on civic literacy and
voters’ education primarily attended by young people from various universities across Metro Manila. In
this voters’ education summit last February, a youth movement was formed by the students-participants
themselves. And they called it the “First Time Mo?” movement. I think Chuck is very familiar with it
because he was the main facilitator of that forum. Essentially it’s a movement for first time voters, which
I think would number about five to six million in 2004, which is already almost a fourth of the entire
electorate. In this movement, it is purely a student-run movement, with the help of our office, with the
help of the Civic Education Network, with NIPS and with other NGOs and civil society organizations. The
main thrust of this group is to reach out to young people all over the country and to preach, they call it
their gospel, their gospel of how to elect, how the youth should choose their national leaders. And since
February, there have already been two workshops that have been conducted, one for NCR student
leaders, and the most recent one, two weeks ago, at La Salle Greenhills. There was a seminar attended
by almost 65 student leaders from all over Luzon—from the north in Ilocos Norte up to Bicol. And they
formed a group, and this group thought of a criteria. They identified four criteria on which they can base
how they should vote for their national leaders in the coming elections and in succeeding elections in the
future. The four criteria are, first, the leader should have a clear vision and a workable and concrete
agenda. Second, this leader should have a good track record. Third, he/she should be of good moral
character. And fourth, that leader should be a nationalist leader. So those four criteria were identified by
these young students from, right now, NCR and all over Luzon. And they’re trying their best to organize
themselves into a movement that can go all over the country and spread this gospel of how young people
should choose their leaders. And we are helping out this group a lot and we ask the other groups that are
represented here to also help this group. A lot of the people here are already a part of the civic education
network and hopefully all our groups can help out this movement so that they can spread their gospel
and make better voters out of our young people all over the country.
With that, I would like to again congratulate the organizers of this forum. And good luck on your
three days of trying to find out what we can do to educate our voters more especially our young people.
Thank you very much.
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Speeches
Speech delivered by
Rep. Jesli Lapus
Chairperson House Committee on Suffrage
and Electoral Reforms
National Voters’ Education Summit
Bayview Park Hotel, Roxas Boulevard, Manila
May 26 - 28, 2003
The Philippines as a republic is one hundred five years old in June, relatively young compared to
those of other nations. Despite its youth however, it can be said that it has gone a long way. Through the
years and several leaderships, we have put in place mechanisms that make good governance not just an
ideal but also a reality. Our country’s political and economic milieu is adjudged adaptive to the times such
that it is able to cope with the dynamics of the world at large. With difficulty, yes, but it manages to
surpass crises of varied proportions. To say that it is far from faultless is an understatement, however.
Political maturity is a work-in-progress. And it is only through competent and steadfast political
will can we dare say that our system has fully developed.
Nowhere is the ambivalence of youth or the virtue of being young more pronounced in the
behaviour of the country’s electorate. Our voters continue to operate on the “politics of personality”
whereby public officials are elected not by virtue of [performance, strength of program or track record
and the integrity of the party by which he has alliances with, but on the willingness of the candidate to
spend, connections in the administration and visibility in the different media. This in one word, ladies and
gentlemen, is celebrity, hardly the measure of hardworking and effective public servant.
A mature democracy is one that thinks and discerns. Voters’ education is a requisite first step
towards that direction. We cannot overstate its significance. No way can we expect our electorate to
evolve into intelligent voters if we do not educate and equip them with the necessary implements by
which an informed choice could be made. The national and local elections on May 2004 are the shortterm goal.
The House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms constantly endeavors to provide an
electoral framework that empowers and educates. Republic Act No. 9189, otherwise known as The
Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003, was put in place in full recognition of the significant economic
contribution of hardworking Overseas Filipino Workers around the globe. Equal opportunity to the
fundamental right to suffrage should be made available to all Filipinos not only to those who are here in
the country but also to the seven million potential voters worldwide. Its implementation next year is in
itself a triumph for all of us.
The Party-List System Act is one other milestone in our nation’s legislative history. Though enacted
into law in 1994, RA # 7941 is still unclear to a substantial percentage of an electorate, hence, the need
to integrate it in the Voters’ Education curriculum. Effectively, the Party-List System has given voice to
the underrepresented sectors of the Philippine society in the formulation and enactment of appropriate
legislation for the common good. Amendments to the said law have been proposed for our committee’s
consideration. We are in the process of studying possibilities.
RA # 8436 short-titled the Automated Election System Law mandates that the Commission on
Elections utilizes a system of advanced technology for voting and for counting, canvassing and consolidation
of election results nationwide. It seeks to modernize our outdated election system that is highly vulnerable
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Speeches
to fraud. Though advantageous in theory, some provisions are not adaptable to the dynamic nature of
higher technology. Approved on second reading in the House of Representatives, a substitute bill that
seeks to amend this particular law provides the Commission on Elections with flexibility in terms of
authorizing the said agency to utilize the appropriate technology for future electoral exercises.
Times are hard and people clamor for change. Politics and governance are high in the Filipino
consciousness—a perfect time to learn. Let us make best use of this opportunity.
Thank you and good day.
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Speeches
Speech delivered by
Usec. Jose Luis Martin Gascon, Esq.
Department of Education Culture and Sports
National Voters’ Education Summit
Bayview Park Hotel, Roxas Boulevard, Manila
May 26 - 28, 2003
Cong. Jesli Lapus, chairman of the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms; Mr.
Vince Dizon, the representative of Sen. Angara, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional
Amendments and Revision of Codes and Laws; Atty. Vitriolo, of the Commission on Higher Education; Mr.
Mon Casiple of the Consortium on Electoral Reforms; and Mr. Terrence Jones, the country representative
of the UNDP; as well as all of the participants to this very important first ever National Voters’ Education
Summit, good morning.
First of all, I wish to express the greetings of the honorable secretary of the Department of
Education, Sec. Roberto de Jesus, who would have been here with us today had he not been sent to
Indo-China. He’s now on a three-country tour of Indo-China—Burma, Cambodia, and Laos—as part of
his responsibilities as president of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO)
for this year. He’s well aware about this initiative and completely supports it and we are actually thankful
to the convenors and organizers of this event as well as to the UNDP for providing the necessary support
for the initiation of this National Voters’ Education Summit.
The Department of Education’s mandate is to provide basic education. So we deal with students
who are not voters—students who are at basic education—elementary and secondary education. So our
main clientele are potential voters and we see that it is critical that interventions are undertaken long
before our citizens become voters. And that’s why we are very much interested in initiatives such as this
on voters’ education. The Hon. Cong. Jesli Lapus outlined for us very clearly the importance of voters’
education in a democracy. A mature democracy such as ours, which is constantly developing and evolving,
requires also mature citizens. And I take heart and note that your papers or your documents refer to
citizen-voters as an objective. I think this highlights the fact that when we speak about voters it’s not
enough that people have the franchise or the ability to exercise the vote. But more significantly or
importantly that as voters they exercise this privilege or this right in a way that befits the term of being
a citizen—someone who engages the government, someone who is concerned about the future of the
country, someone who makes decisions intelligently and responsibly.
Now we have seen over the past fifteen, sixteen years of our democracy and five electoral exercises
that while we have made much progress in the field of electoral reforms and institutionalization and
consolidation of democracy, much is still ahead of us, there’s still much that needs to be done. And an
initiative such as this of both government and non-governmental organizations to come together to
focus on voters’ education roughly 350 days before the next elections is a welcome initiative. I recall that
last year the same organizers here present initiated an electoral reform summit. And the results of that
electoral reform summit have been achieved in the year that has passed. The absentee voting law has
been stirred by honorable Lapus in the House and is now a law. We are of course awaiting the implementing
rules and regulations, for these preparations for the automation of elections are now in earnest. Of
course this law was passed in 1996-1997 and should have been fully implemented by at least 2001 if not
1998. But the President herself, President Arroyo, has provided enough resources for the automation of
elections to proceed, which emphasizes the great need for initiatives such as voters’ education because
in the 2004 elections, the voters will be presented with a different ballot; unlike in previous elections
where our voters are merely presented with a blank sheet, effectively a blank sheet, that they need to fill
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Speeches
out manually on their own. For the very first time, our voters nationwide will be provided with a preprinted ballot and they would require an act of merely marking off. Now, that should simplify matters but
again it’s important to undertake a comprehensive voters’ education on that issue—on how to prepare
for the new ballot and also on the process of counting that ballot. I think these are things that we should
not take for granted because in a forum I just attended, where I believe some of you were there as well
last Friday, NAMFREL was present and was telling us that even in other countries, where the ballots are
essentially idiot’s piece of paper—you already have the big mark of the party and it says merely X it or
Stamp it—there have been mistakes undertaken by voters. What more a new system such as ours. It’s
critical that early on all of the stakeholders—COMELEC, the House and Senate Committees, civil society,
and institutions of education undertake a voters’ education initiative.
In that respect, I wish to inform the public that the Department of Education, we have several
initiatives, some of which brings me here and I have, in fact, an agenda that I wish to raise here as I have
been raising in other fora involving the elections. Of course let me tell you that we have integrated good
citizenship in our basic curriculum. We have what is called the Values Education across Subject Areas or
VASA program, where we ensure that the issues of citizenship and nationhood are integrated not just in
the social studies programs of the Makabayan subject area but across all other subject areas. And we
hope to push this even further in the second year of the implementation of the revised basic education
curricula. More significantly, we have also just issued new guidelines, just last week, on a reformulation
of the Citizens’ Army Training. As you may all well know our senior students in high school are required
to undertake Citizens’ Army Training. But in the light of the changes that has happened at the university
level, where the ROTC or the CMT has been replaced by what is referred to as the NSTP—the National
Service Training Program—in the same breath, we have made some major reforms in CAT from being
Citizens’ Army Training to Citizenship Advancement Training. And this will involve forty weeks of training
for our senior students, both male and female, in issues of good citizenship. And a very small portion of
that is actually orientation to military service, a greater portion of that is orientation to civil service—civil
work and in particular, participation in the community including participation in political and electoral
exercises.
We hope that over time, this initiative will help build momentum for other initiatives such as those
undertaken by the CHED. And we feel that a major intervention must be undertaken by the CHED with
the universities with respect to the NSTP, in particular, strengthening the civil welfare component of the
NSTP. And we look forward to the input from the Commission on Higher Education on this respect. In a
broader sense, the Department of Education is working very closely with other government agencies, in
particular, the new chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education, Bro. Rolly Dizon, who will be
assuming, on the first week of June, as chairman of the Commission on Higher Education, has for the
past three months been at the forefront of an initiative involving the President herself called a Movement
for Good Citizenship. In fact, the intention is by the 12th of June, on the anniversary of our independence.
This Movement of Good Citizenship will be launched, and it is opportune that an initiative such as this,
the Voters’ Education Summit, is undertaken in just a few weeks before the launching of this Good
Citizenship Movement. We feel that the critical or important element of good citizenship, of course, must
be voters’ education, which brings me to the agenda of why the secretary has asked me to be here and
to share with you our concerns about voters’ education.
We think that with the reforms that have been initiated and introduced we feel that there is still,
possibly one more reform that we could probably push forward before the coming election. If the Ateneans
present would indulge me, one big final push, so to speak, and that is, as some of you may already know,
we are asking that Congress urgently consider the possibility that now since automation will be in place
in 2004 to remove our public school teachers on compulsory participation as election officers in the
elections itself. We feel that our teachers have been extremely politicized by their role and participation
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Speeches
in the process and we feel that participation as election officer should not be limited to teachers alone but
in fact should engage citizens directly. And so we feel that perhaps Congress, the Senate and the House
of Representatives that are represented here, as well as other institutions of government, we will be
asking the President to include this in her state of the nation as a priority bill. If it is possible for Congress
to immediately consider the possibility of addressing the membership of the Board of Election Inspectors.
As we all know the Board of Election Inspectors at the precinct level is composed completely of teachers.
We suggest that over time perhaps this could be voluntary. As we note, in many other countries in the
world, citizens themselves man the precincts or person the precincts. And there is really no real reason
why it must be public school teachers who bear the largest burden in this respect. In fact, our own
secretary has said that now that automation is in place, the rest of the work is something that anyone can
do because election duty is not rocket science. And because it is not rocket science, we’re working very
closely with the Development Academy of the Philippines. Dr. Doy Romero is here, he has prepared a
concept on this and I’m sure we will be sharing it with you here. But we hope one of the resolutions that
will come out of this conference is for this conference and particularly Congress to initiate that a process
of removing our public school teachers from compulsory duty on election day. We think that many of our
teachers will remain volunteers in the election process, but we want to open up that process to other
stakeholders. In the forum last Friday, NAMFREL expressed the interest in the possibility of the citizens’
groups or the citizens’ watchdogs being a member in the BEI; because if we have automation of elections
in place, then we would not need as many party or citizens watchers at the precinct level. And so these
volunteers can be mobilized instead to be members of the BEI. Another group that could be tapped very
completely are the NSTP cadets. We had estimated about 400,000 NSTP cadets nationwide. And if they
no longer going to be doing their marching in the campuses, they might as well be trained for election
duty on election day. We’re talking about 200,000 precincts, if perhaps the chairman of the BEI remains
a teacher, the other member could be any other government employee, and the third member could
either be NSTP cadets or the citizens’ watchdogs. This is something that we believe can be done and
should not have to wait until the elections after 2004. And we hope that these groups, as well as the
other groups outside of this hall could help in this effort.
So again we’d like to thank the sponsors and organizers of this, in particular the UNDP, for helping
us in organizing this National Voters’ Education Summit.
Magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat.
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Speeches
Speech delivered by
Atty. Josito Vitriolo, in behalf of Dr. Ester Garcia
Chairperson of Commission on Higher Education
National Voters’ Education Summit
Bayview Park Hotel, Roxas Boulevard, Manila
May 26 - 28, 2003
Good morning to everyone.
When I came here this morning, the secretariat had a difficulty looking for my card simply because
the chair was expected to be here. However, just like the COMELEC whose process assigned transition,
the CHED right now is in transition as already mentioned by a good friend, Chito Gascon, by the first
week of June, we will soon have a new chair in the person of Bro. Rolly Dizon. Our chairman, the Hon.
Nestor Garcia sends the regret this morning.
Our luminaries in the table: starting of course from the chair of the House Committee on Suffrage
and Electoral Reforms, the honorable representative of the 3rd district of Tarlac, Jesli Lapus; our good
friend from the Department of Education, the Hon. Usec. Chito Gascon; of course, Mr. Vince Dizon, the
representative of the Hon. Sen. Edgardo J. Angara, the chairman of the Committee on Constitutional
Amendments; our friends on the Consortium on Electoral Reforms, chair Mr. Ramon Casiple; the executive
director of the COMELEC, Mr. Aguam; and of course from the UNDP, Mr. Terrence Jones, partner in this
very important undertaking; representatives and delegates of this summit, friends.
When we talk about electoral reforms, when Chito Gascon asked CHED to be represented in this
undertaking, he sends some representatives and when they got back to us, they had a lot of ideas,
primarily coming from Usec. Gascon.
Let me just formally extend the greetings of peace of the Commission on Higher Education to all
of you. We are very pleased that while 2004 is still far, everybody is interested to have a clean, honest,
and orderly election. And hopefully, this voters’ education summit will precisely address that concern.
With the many challenges confronting the Philippine elections, we could always work together to find
solutions to our country’s perennial election problems. We must take advantage of this summit to identify
the needed reforms that will help in making our elections, as I said, clean, honest, and peaceful. As
responsible citizens, you have chosen the better role by participating in activities like this one.
How well we have educated our electorate will be reflected on the results of the coming elections,
both local and national. For this reason, the Commission on Higher Education will extend and will be
ready to support the activities as well as the ideas, even the reforms and suggestions that will come out
in this summit; all for the vision of having a mature and discerning electorate come 2004. We are
confident that the summit will be able to encourage and inspire electoral stakeholders present in this
three-day activity to share your experiences in relation to the education of voters. We believe no one can
think of a better way to coordinate various electoral education initiatives than this group. As enshrined in
our fundamental law, and as we are reminded time and again, sovereignty resides in the people and all
government authority emanates from them. This is indeed the basis of a healthy and vibrant democracy.
Thus, we must do our share to keep our citizens well-informed and well-educated voters. We believe this
is the only way we can succeed as a democracy and as an electoral body.
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Speeches
This is our challenge come 2004. In this regard, we exhort all the participants and stakeholders
to contribute to share. Again, on behalf of the Commission on Higher Education, I welcome you to this
National Voters’ Education Summit.
Good day and mabuhay!
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Speeches
Speech delivered by
Executive Director Mamasapunod Aguam
Commission on Elections
National Voters’ Education Summit
Bayview Park Hotel, Roxas Boulevard, Manila
May 26 - 28, 2003
Hon. Jesli Lapus; Hon. Usec. Gascon; Mr. Dizon; Mr. Jones of the UNDP; Mon Casiple; distinguished
participants, ladies and gentlemen.
Voters’ education is very important and very timely. The pervasive activity of the commission is
voters’ information and education. The Commission on Elections has been preparing for the conduct of
the 2004 elections. We have addressed all the stages of the electoral process: pre-registration, registration,
election proper, and post-election. Our task has been compounded and complicated with two major new
projects of the commission namely the automation of counting and canvassing of votes as required
under RA # 8436, and the implementation of the overseas absentee voting act of 2003. Nonetheless, the
commission remains committed to its legal mandate to ensure the holding of free, orderly, honest,
peaceful, and credible elections. More specifically, the Commission on Elections has been undertaking
several projects. Updating and cleansing of the computerized voters’ list nationwide. The commission is
doing this through series of activities namely the present mapping and the verification and the continuing
registration of voters and possibly the commission, in view of the pending petitions for the annulment of
the registration in the ARMM. If the commission will approve, the annulment of the petition of the
commission will direct general registration in the five provinces and one city in the Autonomous Region
in Muslim Mindanao. This is a part of cleansing the list of voters. The commission also is undertaking
exclusion of voters, meaning those double registrants, multiple registrants, those who are land resident
voters in the barangay or in the precincts.
Under the automation projects of the Commission on Elections, we are undertaking the validation
of voters’ registration records. Under this program, the Commission on Elections has directed all voters
to report in their respective validation centers for the purpose of taking the biometric characteristics of
the voters, namely their signature, their fingerprints, their photo. These are the three major biometric
characteristics of the voter that is required by the commission as part of the systematic and fraud-free
list of voters. We have also the automated counting of votes, public bidding has been conducted, it was
awarded, contract was signed and it is now for implementation. And also we have the electronic
transmission of results whereby during the counting of the ballots cast in the precincts, automatically the
results will be transmitted electronically to the office of the election officers, to the office of the provincial
election supervisor, and to the national central office in Manila.
Now we have the overseas absentee voting. The Commission on Elections have done hectic
preparations in this area, most especially in coordination, consultation with other departments of the
government, but particularly the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Labor and Employment
and other agencies of the government. We have come out with the implementing rules and guidelines.
And as a component of this program, the commission will be conducting a seminar-training of the
personnel of the Department of Foreign Affairs in East and South Asia, West Asia, in Europe and in the
Americas.
In all these projects of the Commission on Elections, the most pervasive—it cut across in all these
projects of the commission—the information and education campaign. We, in the Commission on Elections,
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Speeches
feel that we need the assistance of all stakeholders in the political process like civic organizations, like
the Consortium on Electoral Reforms and other civic-oriented organizations.
I would like to react on the proposal of Usec. Gascon on the resetting of the composition of the
Board of Election Inspectors. We know that under the present system, the most overloaded government
employees or personnel in terms of duties and functions are the public school teachers. And I think it is
timely, as pointed out by Usec. Gascon that we have to explore and consider the possibility of strengthening
the role of the public school teachers so that they can devote their duties and function to the education
of the youth of this and.
My friends we need your assistance, we need your support.
Magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat.
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Speeches
Speech Delivered by
Mr. Ramon Casiple
Chairperson, Consortium on Electoral Reforms
National Voters’ Education Summit
Bayview Park Hotel, Roxas Boulevard, Manila
May 26 - 28, 2003
Good morning to my fellow convenors in government—all of them are from government, and I
will be the one representing the non-governmental sector. Of course our distinguished guest, Mr. Terrence
Jones from the UNDP, who has supported us all the way since the start of the initiative for electoral
reforms. Distinguished participants, I know many of you have come here for a serious reason: to really
help share and plan the initiative for voter education.
So I’d like to start off on the basis of three stories that I’ve learned the past year concerning
electoral reform. One, I don’t know if many of you have gone through this experience of having friends,
families, and acquaintances tell their story of going abroad. Most of us, I think, have relatives who have
gone abroad or are planning to go abroad. The interesting thing, but I think is an unfortunate one, is that
when this trend of going abroad started, the reason was to go to greener pastures, to have more stable,
higher income. The past year, what interested me was that there was another reason. And the reason
was disturbing. Many of my friends, acquaintances, even families, are thinking of going abroad not only
for greener pasture but they said to escape what increasingly is becoming an anarchic situation in the
Philippines. Of course, I don’t share the view. But what is disturbing there is their impression that things
are not going that well in our country. They sight the rising criminality, they sight the rising poverty, and
they sight the increasing social anarchy. In all of the tales, in all of the stories that I’ve heard, they are
connecting to the question of a lack or a problem in governance. They say that leadership in this country
is no leadership at all. And that there’s probably no hope in the immediate or even in the medium term
future for reverse of the threat. In particular, I was disturbed by the stories of the possibilities of the 2004
elections—the possibility that is no possibility at all. Meaning, they don’t know if they want to vote,
because they think leaders or candidates that are vying so far are not… They don’t have that kind of good
impressions in these leaders to say the least.
The second story that I have to tell is the reverse one; this is a story of hope. I was, two months
ago, in Iloilo. And I had consultations with non-government organizations and people’s organizations.
And there was this one story of a little town in Iloilo, I think it was Karles, Iloilo, where the mayor came
from a dynasty. The mayor and his wife just change places since 1948 up to 2001. In 2001, the mayor
lost in a landslide. And the simple reason there was, during the period of 1998 to 2001, the people
organized and their organizations, and with their non-governmental organizations supporting them,
initiated a program called People’s Monitoring of Governance. It’s simple, they have this meeting every
three months, a public meeting in the plaza and they invited the mayor, they invited the councillors. And
they got these officials to report on their performance regarding their promises during the 1998 elections.
They kept it up and when the time come, that was I think around three quarters after, the people realized
that the promises were really promises and were not being implemented. Of course that led to problems
with the mayor. And in 2001, the people—the groups there decided to fill the candidate of their own who
was a non-politician, a community leader but a non-politician. And that non-politician got the position;
he’s now the mayor of Karles on a landslide vote. This story is also not an isolated story. It’s a story that
is becoming familiar throughout the country. And I think it is also a story that should be told throughout
the country.
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Speeches
My last story and the last actually, is the story of this summit. This summit actually is a product of
a summit last year. In this same place, Bayview Hotel, the 2002 National Electoral Reform Summit was
held, basically with the same convenors. I think the new ones are from CHED and DepEd, but the others
are actually old colleagues in the summit. And that was the first summit where the topic—a serious topic
of electoral reforms was discussed. And out of that summit was produced a document which was the
agenda for electoral reforms, which became the guiding document for all the participants in government
and non-government sector for the past year. We brought the agenda to Congress, we brought the
agenda to the NGOs, we brought this agenda to the COMELEC and other executive departments, and one
of the products is the summit being held now because one of the main resolutions of that summit was to
implement or carry out a nationwide campaign in time for the 2004 elections. And I think that initiative
or that decision is a very crucial one considering that the 2004 election that is coming is not a normal
election. I’m referring to the continued questioning of the legitimacy of our present national leadership.
Just two days, three days ago, I think former Pres. Estrada was still asserting that he is the President.
There is a questioning of the Supreme Court decision, the receiving of questioning of the Supreme Court
itself, and the major question there was the questioning of the product of that EDSA II. And as we have
noticed, there was an EDSA III a few months after. And the 2004 election has gained an urgency in the
matter of being an honest, and orderly, a very credible election, because the alternative there, I don’t
think is something that all of us would have want.
Now, I think the crucial point there is to make sure that our citizen-voters knew what is at stake
and knew what they are gong to do, because the 2004 election is also a landmark, a new event insofar
as the manner of election is concerned. We have the overseas voting which would require a new set of
rules. We also have a modernized way of voting, which many of you, I think will only gain information at
this summit because the COMELEC is tasked to explain the new way of voting. And these are important
because most of us will be doing what is not familiar with us. And so, given that context, the Consortium
on Electoral Reforms together with my co-convenors, welcome all the participants, welcome all of you to
this very important summit and we hope that this summit can produce positive results and agreements
and the political will necessary tot have an effective voter education not only for 2004 elections but even
beyond.
Thank you.
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Speeches
Speech delivered by
Mr. Terrence Jones
Resident Coordinator United Nations and
Country Representative, United Nations Development Programme
National Voters’ Education Summit
Bayview Park Hotel, Roxas Boulevard, Manila
May 26 - 28, 2003
Good morning everybody. I recognize that I am the, if I am counting correctly, the seventh
speaker you have been regaled with this morning. And I hope that you’ll have the patience while you
enjoy your snacks to listen to the seventh.
First let me thank the previous six speakers for the insights and the encouragement to you all and
for the support for this very important stakeholders’ summit on voter education. I think the very fact that
they are here is a testimony to the strong support and commitment to their principles and their institutions
to making sure that both the government and the civil society will do their utmost to ensure that the
elections next year will be a testimony to the strengthening of Philippine democracy.
I must confess being a little uncertain about being here because it so happens, because of a quirk
in the legislature of the United Kingdom, I’ve never been able to vote. Most of my life has been spent
outside the United Kingdom working for the United Nations and it so happened that I’ve been working in
some ten countries around the world and have experienced in most of them the fever, the excitement of
the electoral process without ever being able to in fact participate in it. And indeed in my last assignment
in Africa, in Malawi, the United Nations supported heavily the second democratic elections in that country.
And that’s one example of what we have done since 1945, and that is to support the electoral
process around the world, in fact in some 140 member states of the United Nations. I think it’s worth
reminding ourselves that the basis for that work is enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and in
the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. And that is that “the will of the people shall be the basis of
authority of government as expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be universal and with
equal suffrage and shall be by secret vote” or other similar means. And further, that “such elections are
a necessary and indispensable element of sustained efforts to protect the rights and interests of the
governed”. In other words, the right to vote is a fundamental human right and is very important to
remember that when we assess what needs to be done to ensure that right is adhered to and respected.
While the United Nations possesses an unparalleled comparative knowledge of experiences in
electoral processes, it recognizes also that each country should determine the form of democracy and
electoral systems that best suits its condition, while adhering to international principles. You the participants
today represent for the Philippines that set of national capacities best able to determine the appropriate
system for this country and how it should be implemented.
Voter education, if unsuccessful in its intent and goals, will lead to credible, democratic and
effective elections. It may produce leaders with vision and hearts attuned to the aspirations of the
people, especially those politically marginalized at the grassroots. It will also produce an aware and
vigilant citizenry with stakes in democracy. There are several aspects of voter education that need to be
emphasized, for even if the statements appear obvious they are often ignored in practice.
First is the importance of civic education, as a continuing process between elections, to ensure
that democracy is understood, that children and youth especially but also the marginalized and illiterate,
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Speeches
are made fully aware of their rights and responsibilities when it comes to sustaining democracy. Citizens
must have confidence also in the fairness of elections if we are not to witness what happens so often
elsewhere, with declining levels of participation in elections.
Second is the vital question of selecting candidates, the potential leaders, and of ensuring that
they meet the criteria set and are subject to appropriate scrutiny in a transparent and fair manner. Here
as in other areas the political parties have heavy responsibilities at all levels. Codes of conduct for leaders
and parties and similar guidance in the electoral process should be made available to voters, and monitored
by civil society, the media, and even the judiciary. Special efforts should be intensified to increase the
number of women candidates, and to introduce quota systems to achieve balance.
Third is the vexing question of campaign financing and patronage. This subject should be a major
element of voter education efforts, supporting candidates willing to rely on their policies rather than their
pockets for success. Again monitoring is important and is transparency, for example in levels of corporate
support.
Fourth is the troubling question of timing. All too frequently voter education is too little too late.
This is especially the case in the Philippines this time, it is important that the Electoral Commission
makes available and agrees with the voter education bodies on the materials to be used to ensure high
levels of compliance with the new requirements, not just for voting but also for registration, for selection
of candidates and so forth.
Fifth is the importance of a coordinated approach, to ensure that all are reached with the same
basic messages, and that political parties conform to the rules set for the elections. It is important to
ensure geographical and sectoral coverage, and for this grassroots mobilization is essential.
I am sure the experience this room will have many other concerns to add to this list and that very
experience, brought together this summit is the best guarantee that they will be addressed appropriately
and on time.
Democracy—because of its potential to hold accountable those in power and authority, to allow
the free and fair contest of power, and above all, to increase popular participation—is the system that can
best safeguard human freedoms and dignity of all people. It is the only form of governance that provides
the incentives for leaders to act in the interests of all. From the vantage point of leadership with close ties
with and confidence of the people, that wields the required political will, and that is capable of uniting the
country and nation in a common vision of nation-building amidst the challenges of globalization. We
know that democracy requires much more than a hasty organized election: it is a long term process that
is particularly difficult when a nation is steeped in poverty or beset with conflicts and social violence, and
lacking strong institutions that are also susceptible to corruption and influence peddling.
But where democracy is weak we must not blame the system, withdraw our participation. We
must engage. We should complement the institutions of the state with those of civil society. Democracy
can provide muscle to human progress; we must exercise it correctly to keep it strong and prevent
atrophy.
Vigorous voter education targets the foundation of Philippine democracy—the citizen-voters. A
mature, discerning, and committed electorate is an essential ingredient for the maturation and consolidation
of this democracy.
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Speeches
The UNDP fully supports the aims of this summit and congratulates civil society initiatives for
electoral reforms as well as the efforts of the national electoral institutions to pursue such reforms. Rest
assured that UNDP, and the United Nations as well, will be with you as partners in this vital campaign.
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Speeches
2003 NATIONAL VOTERS’ EDUCATION SUMMIT DECLARATION
Taking note of the growing cynicism with which citizens and stakeholders have come to view our
electoral system;
Recognizing the value of an informed electorate that casts their vote based on political programs and
principles, having rejected the politics of patronage and personality;
Recognizing the many changes in the electoral system, information about which would have to be
disseminated to all sectors in society;
Stressing that efforts towards voters’ education must come from all stakeholders concerned—political
parties, grassroots-based organizations, civil society, media, the private sector, citizens, religious
groups and the academe;
Taking advantage of the favorable environment of cooperation currently present among the stakeholders
of civil society, political parties, and government;
We, the citizens and the stakeholders of the Philippine electoral system, and advocates of a truly
representative and participatory democracy, as members of the 2003 Voters’ Education National
Summit, urgently set forth the following resolutions and recommendations as a common agenda:
UNIFIED PROPOSALS OF THE 2003 NATIONAL VOTERS’ EDUCATION SUMMIT
I. PROPOSALS ON ELECTORAL MODERNIZATION AND ABSENTEE VOTING
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Proposes to launch a campaign to encourage the citizenry to check the voters lists as part of the
validation process
Shall conduct voters education in and through local Parent-Teachers Associations (PTA)
Shall focus on information dissemination on the current Voters’ Education initiatives and programs
Proposes that the convenors to write President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to issue a EO/AO which
would open the government stations as one of the possible vehicles and means disseminating
voter education programs
Proposes that the convenors submit a position paper to the Kapisanan ng mga Broadcasters ng
Pilipinas (KBP) to emphasize the urgency of voters education in order to convince them to actively
engage in the voter education campaign via their member networks
Proposes that the convenors hold workshops for the consolidation of voters education materials
Proposes that the convenors should campaign for the participation of elected officials in nonpartisan voter education programs
II. PROPOSALS FOR COMMUNITY BASED VOTER EDUCATION
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Proposes that the content of the voter education modules shall focus on the technical aspect of
voting, given the immediate needs due to the changes in the system, but also on values formation
which is equally important
Proposes that the CER act as a coordinative center for voter education initiatives
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Declaration
III. PROPOSALS ON FIRST TIME VOTERS
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To advocate for continuing registration coupled with a grassroots information campaign
To advocate for new politics, good governance and active citizenship
To assist in voters’ education programs of civil society organizations
To share network materials for FTVs (i.e. distribution, conceptualization)
To advocate for provisions concerned with the security measures during the transportation of
ballots in the modernized system
A continuing advocacy for the decriminalization of minor offenses of teachers
To advocate for the implementation of provisions on legal assistance to teachers
To establish linkages and to network with Local Government Units and National Government
Agencies
To advocate for effective media involvement in voters’ education
IV. PROPOSALS ON THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARTY LIST GROUPS
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Proposes to network with other organizations on voter education initiatives especially on information
dissemination on the party list system
Proposes that party list groups and other concerned organizations to come up with a common/
generic module for grassroots voter education campaigns specifically focused on the party list
system
Proposes that teachers be relieved of their election day duties so that teachers may focus on
voter/civic education campaigns, but also to unhinge teachers from the culture of patronage
politics in their local areas which become systemic during elections
Proposes that COMELEC information materials on elections be translated into local languages and
dialects
Proposes that voters’ education materials should focus on values formation and information
dissemination on the background of candidates
Proposes to initiate a performance monitoring project for public officials, which will then report to
a people’s assembly every six months
Proposes that the Commission on Elections and other election personnel should be the focus of
voter/civic education, especially on the party list system
Proposes that party list groups be open to coordination with other networks
V. PROPOSALS ON THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ACADEME
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The academe must assist in Identifying the particular needs of the voters through training needs
assessments (TNAs)
The academe needs to develop a voter education curriculum focused specifically on the new
laws, processes and technologies being introduced
VI. PROPOSALS IN THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POLITICAL PARTIES
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Proposes that political parties must present people with holistic programs in order to encourage
a programmatic and ideological approach to elections
Proposes that political parties be able to present the visions of what they will be doing through
platforms of governance
Proposes that political parties be accountable and transparent with their members by presenting
the track records of their members
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Declaration
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That political parties should know the needs of their constituents through comprehensive
consultations
That political parties should value the principle of accountability to this constituents
Proposes that the political parties be one of the advocates for a strengthened and modernized
political party system
VII. PROPOSALS ON THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
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That government agencies, based on their capacities, must ensure clean, orderly, fair and honest
elections
That the Commission on Elections must enforce election laws in a transparent and unbiased
fashion
That government agencies with voter education programs should not only concentrate on the
dissemination of election laws but also on imparting empowering principles
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Declaration
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL VOTERS’ EDUCATION SUMMIT
DAY 1 (MAY 26, 2003)
The Summit began with Bro. Brix Baynosa of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the
Philippines (AMRSP) Men delivering the invocation. The masters of ceremony Mr. Chuck Crisanto of the
National Institute for Policy Studies (NIPS) and Ms. Rebecca Malay of Philippine Rural Reconstruction
Movement (PRRM) then proceeded to recognize and greet the distinguished guests and the participating
individuals and organizations. Together with the convening organizations for the summit, there were a
multitude of electoral reform stakeholders, from civil society to relevant government agencies, who were
also present.
Representing the convenors of the Summit were Rep. Jesli Lapus, Chair of House Committee on
Suffrage and Electoral Reform; Undersecretary Jose Luis Martin Gascon, Esq. of the Department of
Education; Mr. Vince Dizon from the office of Sen. Edgardo Angara and Senate Committee on Constitutional
Amendments and Revision of Codes and Laws; Executive Director Mamasapunod Aguam of the Commission
on Elections; Atty. Josito Vitriolo of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Mr. Ramon Casiple,
Chairperson of the Consortium on Electoral Reforms. Also present was Mr. Terence Jones, Country
Representative of the United Nations Development Programme, who presented the UN’s Electoral Reform
agenda.
WELCOMING STATEMENTS
As one of the Summit’s Convenors, Rep. Jesli Lapus, Chairperson of House Committee on Suffrage
and Electoral Reform, delivered his welcoming speech. Rep. Lapus believed that through the years and
several leaderships, there are mechanisms in place that make good governance not just an idea but also
a reality. He also said that political maturity is a work-in-progress and that it is only through competent
and steadfast political will the political system be fully developed. (see speeches for full copy of Rep.
Lapus’s speech)
Usec. Jose Luis Martin Gascon expressed the DECS support for convenors’ initiative on Voters
Education. Emphasizing that DECS’ mandate is to provide basic education, their clientele being potential
voters and such intervention is critical in order to address such issues, he rationalized the Department’s
interest in Voters Education initiatives. Usec. Gascon also shared the DECS own initiative with regards to
Voters Education. (see speeches for full copy of Usec. Gascon’s speech)
Sen. Edgardo Angara, through his chief of staff, Mr. Vince Dizon, also welcomed the initiatives of
the various stakeholders. Sen. Angara considered political and structural reform as one of his priorities
during his third term as a senator. As Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments and
Electoral Reforms in the Senate, Sen. Angara has taken steps to push for these two very important
reforms that are for him our country badly needs — constitutional reforms and electoral reforms. (see
speeches for full copy of Sen. Angara’s speech)
Executive Director Mamasapunod Aguam of the Commission on Elections believed that voter’s
education is important and timely considering the present modernization effort being conducted by the
COMELEC. He was concerned with the nationwide implementation of automated counting and canvassing
since this will be the first time that they will conduct it as such scale. Nonetheless, Exe. Dir. Aguam
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Proceedings
expressed the commission’s commitment to its legal mandate to ensure the holding of free, orderly,
honest, peaceful, and credible elections. (see messages and speeches for full copy of Exe. Dir. Aguam’s
speech)
Atty. Josito Vitriolo of the Commission on Higher Education expressed the commission’s support
for this undertaking. Atty. Vitriolo said that Usec. Gascon provided a lot of input with regards to the
commission’s civic education initiatives. He said that the CHED will extend and will be ready to support
the activities as well as the ideas, reforms and suggestions that will come out in this summit. (see
speeches for full copy of Atty. Vitriolo’s speech)
Mr. Ramon Casiple of the Consortium on Electoral Reforms started his speech with a story about
electoral reform. First was the story of Filipinos going abroad and their negative perspective of the
Philippine socio-political situation. Mr. Casiple described the cynicism of overseas Filipinos and the anarchic
situation of the Philippines. He believed that this cynicism is connected to the perception that there is a
lack of governance in our country and lack of good leaders. (see speeches for full copy of Mr. Casiple’s
speech)
In a light moment, Mr. Terrence Jones of the United Nations Development Programme said that
being the seventh speaker for the morning he hoped that the participants would still have the patience to
listen. He expressed his appreciation for the previous six speakers for the insights and the encouragement
to the participants and for the support for this very important stakeholders’ summit on voter education.
He thought that the very fact that they are here is a testimony to the strong support and commitment to
their principles and institutions. He believed that such principles and institutions are critical in assuring
that both the government and the civil society will do their utmost to ensure that the elections next year
will be a witness to the strengthening of Philippine democracy. He shared that “where democracy is
weak we must not blame the system, withdraw our participation. We must engage. We should complement
the institutions of the state with those of civil society. Democracy can provide muscle to human progress;
we must exercise it correctly to keep it strong and prevent atrophy.” He also assured the UNDP’s
commitment in summit’s initiatives. (see speeches for full copy of Mr. Jones’’ speech)
READING OF MESSAGES
Ms. Debbie Anne Soriano-Garcia, Committee Secretary of the House Committee on Suffrage and
Electoral Reforms then proceeded to read the messages from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and
House of Representatives Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr.
PLENARY
The plenary started with Prof. Eric Torres of Philippine Human Rights Information Center (Philrights)
inquiring about the planned constitutional change whether it will be through constitutional convention or
constituent assembly. He also asked about its possible impact on the 2004 election or will there be no
elections in 2004 as some analysts say. Rep. Lapus responded, although stating that it’s not an authoritative
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Proceedings
answer, that the House of Representatives have passed a resolution on constituent assembly and the
Senate has yet to decide on the matter and he assured that in any event, there will be an election in
2004. What is not concrete is that if the House of Representatives will include a constitutional plebiscite
amendment, on the forms, on the automation. Mr. Vince Dizon concurred with Cong. Lapus and gave the
assurance that there will be elections next year, both national and local. He also said that the Senate still
has to hold its final meeting to discuss the issue of constitutional change and observed that this issue is
very sensitive and each senator has their own views with regards to constitutional change. Mr. Dizon
also mentioned that members of civil society have been active in the senate consultations.
Mr. Garry Lazaro of National Anti-Poverty Commission - Youth Sector (NAPC-YS) raised the issue
of 11 million potential youth voters for the coming 2004 elections and asked what was the COMELEC’s
response to such situation. Exe. Dir Aguam responded that the Commission on Elections, as a tentative
plan, will be resuming the registration of voters under Republic Act 8189 by August 1 until September 30
of this year. Ms. Marie Chris Cabreros of First Time Voters Youth Network inquired how the COMELEC will
be able to register 11 million considering that last 2001 4.5 million were disenfranchised because of such
little time allotted for the registration. Exe. Dir. Aguam assured that the COMELEC will do its best to
accommodate all qualified voters.
Ms. Gloria Cuevas of the Federation of Public School Teachers expressed her appreciation now
that the teachers will partly be relieved from election duties. However, she inquired about the section in
the Omnibus Election Code saying that it is mandatory that teachers serve as BEI. Usec. Gascon responded
that it was exactly the issue being addressed by the automation phase. He said that because automation
will be in place by 2004, the process of manual counting and tabulation will no longer be part of the
functions performed by the BEI. The DECS will be requesting that the composition of the BEI should be
democratized to allow other persons other than teachers to participate in that process. However, this
advocacy requires an amendment in the law and concretely with most of the legislators now geared
towards the 2004 elections there may not have enough time to address such legislative concerns. Rep.
Lapus added that the conditions and circumstances are ripe for gradual withdrawal of the teachers. He
said that the absentee elections in a way, will serve as an experiment on the formula because there are
no teachers abroad. He added that the 2004 elections will be a historical event in election exercise. He
also mentioned that doing a nationwide automation for the first time and at the same time doing a
strange election abroad will be a management’s nightmare for the COMELEC.
Mr. Jose Concepcion of National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) suggested that
the Department of Education and the teachers to reconsider their advocacy for no longer having the
teachers participate in the electoral process. He said that during the Manglapus period, the teachers
were responsible for the education of our children, but then the Nacionalista party or the Liberal party
made them election inspectors that led to disastrous practices. He also expressed his concern with the
coming 2004 elections. An election, which he said, could be considered one of the most crucial elections
in the history of the Philippines, even more crucial than those elections held before Martial Law because
of the use of counting machines in this process. Mr Concepcion felt that the COMELEC’s bureaucracy
might not be capable to implement such endeavor. NAMFREL has already asked COMELEC to consider
getting the private sector—DHL, Aboitiz, and other reputable people who will be responsible for collecting
the election paraphernalia and delivering it to their respective precincts accompanied by a representative
of the Commission on Elections, and a citizens’ arms or even the political parties. Mr. Concepcion
commented that in this manner, no organization—like the DHL, or the Aboitiz, or the Federal Express—
would risk its reputation in cheating.
Ms. Marie Chris Cabreros inquired if there was only two months for registration (August 1 to
September 30) and appealed to the COMELEC to ensure the registration of 11 million new voters. Exe.
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Proceedings
Dir. Aguam said that he will present the matter to the Commission. Rep. Lapus expressed that the
commission should study the issue very carefully. He mentioned that when we talk of automation, as
seen in industry in manufacturing, it is a tool for efficiency and better productivity.
Mr. Ramon Casiple expressed his surprise at the COMELEC’s decision of not accepting applications
for registration. He said that the CER had an occasion to talk with Commissioner Tancangco several
months back and asked about COMELEC Resolution 5912, issued in January suspending, the continuing
registration. At that time, Mr. Casiple informed Comm. Tancangco that the resolution to suspend the
registration was illegal. He also added that there was already a Supreme Court challenge against that
resolution. He noted that it was interesting to know Commissioner Tancangco’s explanation with regards
to the resolution as suspending only the processing, meaning the decision of the COMELEC, the internal
processing. He proposed that Exe. Dir Aguam review the resolution considering the possible effects to
the electoral process. Exe. Dir. Aguam said that he will raise this issue to the Commission.
Mr. Concepcion expressed his shock that there are only two months to register, this disregarded
the fact that there is a law for continuous registration so there is at least eight months to register. He was
not convinced that the COMELEC can take the photograph, fingerprint and verify 40 million voters that
will now all go to all the 1500 municipalities.
SUMMIT WORKSHOP ORIENTATION
Ms. Rebecca Malay of PRRM provided the orientation for the workshops that were to be conducted
for the three-day summit. The objective of the summit was for the different electoral reform stakeholders
to share their insights, experiences, know-how, and expertise on voter education in order to make
fruitful preparations on the 2004 elections.
For the first day, Stream 1 of facilitated program discussions will be held. The objective for the
workshops for Stream 1 was to map out the various voters’ education initiatives of the participating
organizations. There were four questions to be addressed by the workshop groups:
1) What are the various sectoral initiatives on voter education?
2) Geographically, where are these initiatives?
3) What training and education materials are currently available or are being developed for
specific audiences? and
4) How can groups work together and coordinate their efforts?
There were five discussion topics where the participants can register to participate in. The five
discussion groups are the following: (1) Electoral modernization to be handled by Dir. Milagros Desamito
of the COMELEC, (2) Overseas Absentee Voting to be handled by Ms. Ellene Sana of the Center for
Migrant Affairs, (3) Party-List System will be handled by Marie Labajo, Secretary General of Akbayan, (4)
First Time Voters will be handled by Macris Cabreros from the Center for Popular Empowerment, and (5)
Community-based Voter Education to be handled by Mr. Jeremy Nishimori of Empowering Civic Participation
Governance (ECPG).
For the second day, the resource persons will provide inputs on the following topics: (1) the Role
of Media and Information Technology in Voter Education which will be handled by COMELEC Director for
Education and Information, Dir. Diego Cagahastian; (2) Implementing the Absentee Voting Law to be
handled by Ms. Ellene Sana of the Center for Migrant Advocacy and, (3) a plenary presentation on the
Second Phase of Electoral Modernization which will be discussed by Dir. Jun Tolentino of the COMELEC.
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Proceedings
Dir. Tolentino was supposed to conduct a simulated exercise of the modernized election process but will
not be able to, because of the unavailability of the counting machines.
In the afternoon, Stream 2 of the workshop discussions will focus on responsibilities of various
groups educating citizens on elections. For the second stream, there will be five discussion groups: (1)
the Responsibility of Political Parties in Voter Education, (2) the Effectiveness of Community Organizations
and Local Area-based NGOs in Voter Education, (3) the Responsibility of the Youth Vote, (4) the
Responsibility of the Academe and (5) the Responsibility of Government Agencies.
PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF WORKSHOP RESULTS
WORKSHOP STREAM 1 – VOTER EDUCATION INITIATIVES
After learning that only 4 participants registered in the discussion group for Overseas Absentee
Voting, the secretariat proposed that the participants for the Overseas Absentee Voting discussion
group join the discussion group for Community-based Voter Education instead. It was then decided to
have four discussion groups instead of five.
MODERNIZATION
Dir. Milagros Desamito of the COMELEC presented inputs regarding the Commission’s Electoral
Modernization Program. According to Dir. Desamito, the modernization program has three phases. The
first phase is Voter’s Validation wherein the COMELEC will be purchasing validating machines. This
system covers digital capture of the registrants’ photograph, signature, and thumbprint. The COMELEC
will set-up validation centers to validate those who are already registered. New voters will have to go to
the office of election officer in the municipality or city where they reside and apply as new registrants.
The second phase is the Automated Counting and Canvassing. Dir. Desamito noted that most of
the participants might be concerned about this phase. The COMELEC has already applied this phase
twice with the ARMM elections. The COMELEC is in the process of implementing it nationwide for the
2004 elections. Dir. Desamito expressed concern that the electorate may have misconceptions on
automation. She clarified that they still have to use paper ballots, but, this time the ballots will already
bear the printed names of the candidates and opposite the printed names of the candidates are the ovals
which the voters will shade to indicate their choices. Ballots from the polling precinct will be transported
to the municipal/city hall for counting and canvassing. A peripheral is attached to the counting machine
so the results will be recorded by the Office of Election Officer. She emphasized that there will be no
human intervention. From the Office of the Election Officers in the municipality, data results will be
transmitted to the COMELEC Provincial Office, for the provincial candidate. For the national candidates
results will be transmitted to the COMELEC Regional Office and then to the Central Office in Manila.
The third phase is the Electronic Transmission. This phase involves the transmission of election
results directly from counting at the municipal level to the different higher level offices. Dir. Desamito
again emphasized that there will be no human intervention in the transmission. This eliminates the
problems like tampering and ballot snatching which are encountered when physically transferring results
via paper Election Returns.
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Proceedings
After the presentation of the COMELEC, issues were raised with regards to the processes involved
in the modernization. Atty. Luie Guia of Kumare Kumpare said that it would be difficult to try to educate
the people about the new voting system when one does not know what one is going to educate people
with. He also said that he wanted to personally see the how the process is going to work.
There were certain technical questions raised, one particular issue was the use of the back-toback forms. This new form would definitely confuse the voter considering that most of the voters are not
that familiar with the process. Dir. Desamito responded that ballots are designed as such because the
machines can read back to back. The COMELEC has already procured thirty units of the counting machine
and will conduct public demonstrations on how the machines work. She also said that the Commission is
planning to conduct trainings for the trainers and field officers who will be in charge of disseminating
information regarding the automation. She said that the machines would be available by July. The
participants expressed concern with regards to the number of machines that will be available for the
2004 elections, inquiring if they are sufficient to address the number of voters nationwide.
Dir. Desamito said that it would be necessary to have a network in order to effectively implement
the info-dissemination campaign for the use of the automated counting machines. She said that this
activity would be of great help in the info campaign considering that one of the issues of the workshop
was the coordination of the various voters’ education initiatives. (see annex 01 for the outline of the
Modernization workshop results)
OVERSEAS ABSENTEE VOTING / COMMUNITY-BASED VOTER EDUCATION
The guide questions for the workshop were reiterated for the participants in order to level off on
the objectives of the workshop. After the orientation, the participants each provided information regarding
their organizational voters’ education initiatives, the materials they have and are currently preparing, the
areas they cover and the experiences they have undergone (see annex 02 for the outline of the Overseas
Absentee Voting / Community-based Voter Education workshop results). The sharing of information
went quite smoothly and the participants were unified in their concerns in addressing such electoral
issues. Majority of the participants had grassroots engagement and working networks where information
can easily be disseminated. Proposals on tapping mass media for voters’ educations were raised and
were agreed to be submitted as proposals for the plenary.
Negros Occidental Center for Peoples Empowerment and Development’s (NOCPED) Mr. Ephraim
Bejar asked if the absentee votes would positively affect the upcoming 2004 elections? And would such
votes be qualitative? CMA’s Ellene Sana responded that there are cultural issues involved in the potential
qualitative value of absentee votes. It must be considered that legislating for the Absentee Voting was
long delayed because of the apprehension of its effects on the national elected posts. The OFWs are
considered present time heroes because of their contribution to the national economy but are
disenfranchised because before the Absentee Voting act there was no law that would provide them
political/electoral participation. A participant who is a media person from Radio Mindanao Network noted
that absentee voting might be a redeeming factor considering that OFWs are already exposed to different
electoral systems.
The Group’s final recommendations are as follows:
Ø To focus on info-dissemination on Voters’ Education
Ø For the Convenors to write PGMA to issue a EO/AO for government stations to broadcast
information on voters education
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Proceedings
Ø
Ø
Ø
For the Convenors to submit a position paper to the Kapisanan ng mga Broadcasters ng
Pilipinas (KBP) to emphasize the urgency of voters education in order to convince them to
actively engage in the voters education campaign via their member networks
For the Convenors to hold workshops for the consolidation of voters education materials
For the Convenors to campaign for the participation of elected officials in voters education
programs
THE PARTY LIST SYSTEM
The workshop participants presented their organizations’ different initiatives with regards to the
party list system and local sectoral representation. Majority of them are also involved in grassroots
network where education/info dissemination is implemented.
The Institute of Politics and Governance (IPG) is actively engaged in a voters’ education campaign
on the issue of local sectoral representation (LSR). IPG has produced primers for grassroots media
advocacy and electoral campaign training manuals. IPG is also a convenor of Task Force LSR. It was also
proposed to come up with a common module for grassroots campaigns.
KAAKBAY also has a voters’ education module called “Gabay sa Pagbabantay”, it is a poll-watchers
training manual and information material on party-list system. They also proposed amendments to the
Party-List Law that only basic sectors shall participate in the party-list elections. They are trying to
establish networks with other advocacy groups.
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) suggested that teacher should also be beneficiaries of voters’
education because information campaigns/trainings are not properly explained to the teachers such that
these initiatives are watered-down. ACT volunteered to translate voters’ education materials into popular/
layman’s language, and organize school conferences on voters’ education. They also expressed their
concern that teachers are very susceptible to patronage politics and that initiatives to limit the intervention
of teachers in the electoral process would be very welcome so that they can focus on voter/civic education.
AKO is an organization of the urban poor sector. They described the dire situation in which the urban
poor sector is very vulnerable to election fraud (i.e., vote buying). AKO recognized the need for extensive
voter education campaign and materials that will focus on values formation.
CODE-NGO (Iloilo) proposed that COMELEC and other election personnel should be the focus of
voter/civic education considering that there are still people in the commission who are not that well
informed on electoral issues. CODE-NGO was also able to conduct a barangay level voters’/civic education
to the whole province with PPCRV. One of CODE-NGO’s projects is the “Kwento o Kwenta”, is a performance
monitoring the results of which are reported every six months at a peoples’ assembly. This project
provided a venue for governance transparency and accountability.
The Office of Rep. Eduardo Zialcita offered to conduct a voters’ education campaign in the district of
Parañaque. They also offered the services of Rep. Zialcita’s Chief of Staff who has a radio program on
DZEC.
Bayan Muna has a sectoral voters’ education module (included are information on party-list system and
party list organizations) and is open for coordination with other networks.
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Proceedings
The Alliance of Power and Electric Cooperatives (APEC) has employed its network of cooperatives for
voters’ education dissemination and will utilize the generic voters education module being developed by
CER. (see annex 03 for the outline of the Party List workshop results)
FIRST TIME VOTERS
Not all organizations present in the workshop have an on-going voter’ education project. Presently,
only the CPE and the NAPC-YS have on-going projects catering to the first time voters. CPE has a
program called the First Time Voters Project, which is a revival of the 2001 campaign when 4.5 million
youth were disenfranchised from the electoral process. According to the COMELEC and NSO data, the
number of projected youth voters for the coming 2004 elections is 11.6 million. This includes the
disenfranchised youth last 2001 elections and the new entrants (17-22 years old). Because of this, the
First Time Voters Youth Network revived the campaign of registration extension with a theme “Not
Again”—not again to the disenfranchisement of the youth.
The First Time Voters Youth Network has 52 youth organizations with both national and territorial
scope and an NCR-based secretariat. The First Time Voters Project is a non-partisan initiative but partisan
to new politics and good governance, meaning anti-traditional politics and against guns, goons, and
gold. The First Time Voters Youth Network engages in social marketing campaign with the use of trimedia that appeal to the youth. They also organize registration awareness drive, volunteers’ training,
and voters’ education. They go to schools to conduct trainings and forums for the students, and they
coordinate with the SK federation to further promote and propagate their campaign in the communities.
The organization’s available materials are orientation modules on first time voters, resource manuals or
FTV volunteers and trainers, and campaign materials.
The NAPC-YS is a government organization with both national and regional scope. The NAPC-YS
engages, not in voters’ education per se, but rather in providing policy-friendly environment for the
voters. The organization is currently engaged in the right-to-suffrage awareness campaign wherein they
call for the lifting of suspension of the continuing registration and extending registration for first time
youth voters. The organization also supports the allocation of 8-10 hours of NSTP and CAT hours into
voters’ education particularly in the Civil Welfare Service and Literacy Education Service components of
NSTP. They also advocate for the inclusion of voters’ education module in the Iskolar Program. At the
same time they push for a national registration week to accommodate the first time voters. Aside from
linkages with national government agencies and LGUs, their role is also to facilitate linkages with youth
organizations and student organizations with government agencies pertaining to voters’ education. NAPCYS also has partnership with DILG in terms of creating new modules for voters’ education. The organization’s
main clientele are national and regional-based organizations. They have materials like voters’ education
module for SK and KK and POI for NSTP/CAT social awareness.
The Seminarians Network (SemNet) also engages in voters’ education in their diocese. They
conduct a summer voters’ education in the communities in their diocese after every school year. During
the 2001 elections, they made use of texting and internet technology to monitor the poll; they have a
website where people can view the results of the elections all over the country. Basically, their voters’
education is church-based and with Christian values. They are also involved in apostolate work every
weekend, which focuses on youth and established reflection groups wherein individual from the community
can share experiences and other concerns beyond voters’ rights but also on social responsibility and
citizenship. SemNet also proposes to conduct their voters’ education in the entire school year and not
only for two months. In their voter education, they make use of the PPCRV modules and Vote Care
modules.
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Proceedings
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) is involved in voters’ education but focuses more in
training the teachers in their election duties. Currently, they are planning to actually pursue voters’
education by organizing first time voter educational discussions through seminars and forums as well as
the inclusion of electoral concerns in their everyday teaching in schools. ACT is composed of 80,000
teachers from both public and private schools. They operate in 9 regions with an NCR-based secretariat.
PUP has 10 Luzon-based branches and operates a center for human rights. The representative of
PUP Quezon-Faculty Club is willing to help in the information dissemination and in the implementation of
voters’ education. They are engaged in faculty and human rights education. One of the PUP branch is
engaged in a network of first time voters led by KALIPI, Kabataang Liberal ng Pilipinas which is actually
pushing for the same cause in the academic community.
TUP Manila, which has 12, 000 students in 3 branches, also want to engage in the educating first
time voters. At the moment, they are engaged in the First Time Mo? Project
PhilRights is a service institute of PAHRA. They are also planning to conduct voters education and
are wiling to adopt IPER’s generic voter education module but modifying some of the components to
integrate human rights issues and concerns. Their target clientele is the community.
Philippine Rural Reconstruction Youth Association has 15 provincial chapters which are mostly
Luzon-based. They are also in the process of planning to inculcate voters’ education for first time voters
on community-based youth. They are willing to adopt existing materials on voters’ education for first
time voters. (see annex 04 for the outline of the First Time Voters workshop results)
DAY 2 (MAY 27, 2003)
RECAP
The second day of the summit started with Ms. Rebecca Malay recapitulating the events of the
first day which were highlighted by the discussions of the 1st stream of workshops. After which, she
introduced the resource persons for the second day: Dir. Diego Cagahastian of COMELEC, Ms. Ellene
Sana of Center for Migrant Affairs and Dir. Jose Tolentino.
INSTITUTIONAL INPUTS
COMELEC ON MEDIA
Dir. Diego Cagahastian began his discussion on the role of media and information technology in
voters’ education by attempting to define what voter education should be. He mentioned that voter’s
education is part and parcel of civic literacy, and that the quality of civic consciousness in citizens can be
based on the manner of choosing their leaders of the nation. He asked what brings voters to choose one
candidate aspiring for public office over another and over all others. Is it just popularity or name recall?
Are the qualifications for public office, the training and experience for it and the positions taken on
various moral and national issues and character of the person running for office even considered? He
said that voters must be informed on the value of their votes. It must also be reinforced that the vote
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Proceedings
represents a citizens solemn decision to temporarily surrender his or her sovereignty right to a
representative or official who will exercise the power to rule over all of us, at least during the duration of
the term of office of the elected public official concerned.
Dir. Cagahastian believes that media and information technology plays a critical role in ensuring
that in the future, because definitely not now, our voters would be more discerning and educated,
involved and vigilant. The print, broadcast, and electronic media are tools of information that maybe and
should be used to push human progress. Not only economic, but also in other areas of human concern.
Because of media’s pervasive character, the various forms of media have created moguls and giants who
worked in front and behind the cameras and computers. The media industry give people local icons and
heroes, people who seem to be larger than they really are because media made them large. Media
created celebrities who landed in public office just because they are celebrities.
In the case of voter education, media’s role is predominantly in the area of information
dissemination. Dir. Cagahastian asked what information should be popularized? He said that the COMELEC’s
Education and Information Department is embarking on an ambitious voter education campaign that
emphasizes on cushioning the culture shock that voters would definitely undergo with the initial step
towards modernization of the elections which will occur in 2004. The EID will be launching the “Makaalam at Maki-alam sa Halalan”, a call to get involved in the elections which will extensively use all
available media toward this end.
In his closing, Dir. Cagahastian assured the first time voters that their sector will not be forgotten
and though he has only started in his position last September he has always noted the concerns that first
time voters have raised.
FORUM
Dr. Segundo Romero, Executive Vice President of the Development Academy of the Philippines
(DAP), raised two points. The first is the suggestion of doing a matrix—comparative qualifications of
candidates in an area. The COMELEC intends to adapt this when they conduct their candidates’ forums
this coming elections. It is one of the activities of the EID to schedule and set up candidates’ forums in
as many places as possible so that those seeking office can have the opportunity to expound on their
platform of government, their qualifications, and to debate on the issues.
The second point raised comprises of the sole doubts on how the COMELEC would be able to
register one-third of the voters who are 18 years old—first time voters—considering their number.
The voter validation machine—the phase 1 of the COMELEC modernization program—has been
demonstrated at the COMELEC session hall. It can process registrants at the rate of less than 5 minutes
per voter, which is fast enough. It is agreeable that it is a gargantuan task for the COMELEC to register
all these voters considering that there are only two months to do it. The COMELEC will extend the
deadlines if they think it is proper. The problem lies in the fact that the first time voters should be
convinced to register. That is the more urgent and important task ahead.
It was also suggested that political parties hold candidates’ forum since political parties choose
their candidates as well. Writing down the qualifications of their own candidates and the platform of their
party will help the people to differentiate so that the system can move towards a more principle-based
type of politics.
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Proceedings
In addition, it was suggested that the citizens can also help come up with credit investigation,
character investigation or lifestyle investigation so that the citizens and the COMELEC can work together.
The issue of politicians who still engage in show business, which earn them undue advantage was also
raised. It was mentioned that there is now a pending case in the Supreme Court wherein the lawyers for
social justice have filed a petition against local officials who are still moonlighting as movie and television
actors. They are citing provisions in the local government code and Gov. Lito Lapid, Mayor Joey Marquez
and Mayor Vilma Santos and other celebrity officials are being hailed to court to explain why they need to
earn money in show business when in fact they are sworn to be local officials 24 hours a day. So if the
Supreme Court decides on that against the “celebrity” officials then perhaps punitive actions can be
taken. One way to address this issue is through legislation. But more effective is driving home the point
to the people. To educate the people know that these things are wrong.
A query on registration was also posed regarding registering voters at the precinct level. The
answer was that the registration will be done at the office of the election official of the town or the city
where the voter resides. There will be a general registration of voters in ARMM and only a validation of
registration for the rest of the country. The process is for the voters to submit himself or herself before
the election officer in that town where the machine would be assigned. Each election officer will have a
machine to capture the data—the photograph, the thumbprint, and the signature of the voter. Four
copies will be made: one for regional office of the COMELEC, another for the municipal office, another for
the central file and there will also be an ID.
There are also apprehensions on how the farmers living in the remotest areas can revalidate their
registration if the revalidation will be done in the towns. COMELEC answered that aside from having
offices in towns and cities, they will also provide mobile vans that will bring the machines to the factories
and population centers in the provinces and in Metro Manila where revalidation of registration will also be
made.
On the issue of public officials who are endorsing products, there was a question on how the
people can separate legitimate product endorsements from campaigning. Cases cited were that of the
Clusivol commercial and the VSOP commercial. The COMELEC said these endorsers cannot be accused of
premature campaigning since they have not yet filed a certificate of candidacy. It is only up to the
people—the discerning voters—to read between the lines. The COMELEC cannot do anything about it
until they file their certificates of candidacy during which they will be under the rules and regulations of
candidates.
During the elections, the COMELEC will welcome the cooperation of government agencies, NGOs,
the citizens’ arms, and the private sectors, as long as the COMELEC is on top of the election process.
They can help and they can be utilized especially if they are authorized and accredited. The
telecommunications companies will also be a big help in the COMELEC’s information dissemination
campaign as well as the monitoring of the election process. Actually, Mon Isberto, the VP of Smart
Communications is open to the possibilities of looking at how media and information technology can
really push voters’ education forward.
In the 2001 elections, the COMELEC utilized the services of Smart and Globe the “findprecinct.com”
project where the people can inquire and locate their precincts. If they do not have a PC, they can text
their name, address, and birthday and Smart will find their precinct in findprecinct.com.
On the issue of the registration process, the COMELEC said they will try hard to hasten the
registration process. A participant also appealed that the information education campaign on the registration
of first time voters done be more at the grassroots level. The participants are also hoping to have satellite
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Proceedings
registration centers for those who are in the remote areas. On this issue, the COMELEC will also try to
reach out to the voters who are wiling to validate their registration. In the case of ARMM, Chairman
Abalos is willing to put into service all the available machines for the general registration of voters in
ARMM. The COMELEC noted that this will also be the same policy in other areas.
COMELEC ON THE ELECTORAL MODERNIZATION PROGRAM
Dir. Jose Tolentino started his presentation by explaining that the modernization program of
COMELEC consists of 3 phases. The first one is the validation of voters, the second phase is the automated
counting and canvassing, and the last phase is the electronic transmission of the votes generated by the
counting machine used in phase 2.
He then proceeded to discuss details of the bidding process: Mega Pacific eSolutions, Inc. won
the bid and signed a contract with COMELEC last May 9; Mega Pacific will provide the counting machines;
ePLDT which will take care of the encryption and transmission of the data; Election.com is a UK corporation
handling systems for election, they will take care of the training and other logistical functions. According
to Dir. Tolentino the first delivery of the system—which includes the hardware (the counting machine),
and the software (which is the counting and consolidation system)—will be within 80 days from the
issuance of the notice to proceed, and the full delivery will be within 90 days after the first delivery. The
suppliers are given a total of 170 days within which to deliver in full the counting machines and the
consolidation software.
He said that questions have been raised that the machines may not be able to meet the specifications
of the COMELEC which are very stringent. What the COMELEC did was to incorporate as part of the
contract its terms of reference or request for proposal to ensure compliance with the specifications. The
Ad Hoc Technical Evaluation Committee created by law will be the one to formulate the test procedures
and the DOST will be the one to conduct the actual testing.
Dir. Tolentino said that the counting machines will have an integrated city and municipal
consolidation system. A machine can actually consolidate all the votes fed into it to come up with the city
or municipal certificate of canvass. Under the terms of reference, there will be at least 1 counting
machine per city or municipality. The offer of the Mega Pacific is 1,991 units. Counting of ballots will be
completed 24 hours form the close of polls. Based on our implementing rules and regulations for the
overseas absentee voting, we will also use counting machines there. The counting of the ballots will not
actually start right after the close of polls because the ballots will have to be brought to the counting site.
(see annex 06 for the presentation on modernization)
FORUM
During the forum, one of the participants inquired if the watchers will be able to monitor the
actual counting. Dir. Tolentino responded that seven copies of the election results will be printed and it
will be stored in a storage device (in this case a CD). The digital data or results will be transmitted to the
national consolidation center. So probably, in about two minutes, after the count, the watchers will be
able to see the results of the election for that particular precinct. Only watchers of the dominant majority
and minority party will be given copies of the election returns.
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Proceedings
A staff from the office of Rep. Zialcita asked if there will there be an outright proclamation after
the counting is over. Dir. Tolentino said that it depends if all the results from the machines are immediately
consolidated and it is the board of canvassers who will be the ones to proclaim the winning candidates.
Another participant inquired how many machines will be allocated for the absentee voting. Dir. Tolentino
said that the COMELEC has to determine first the number applicants will there be for the absentee
voting.
A participant from the National Movement of Young Legislators (NMYL) said that they received a
letter from COMELEC requesting their local government units to help the COMELEC augment the number
of counting machines. Such request would entail the LGU to purchase their own counting machines for
P2 million. This issue became a heated discussion considering that only the COMELEC is authorized to
purchase the machines. Dir. Tolentino said that he has no idea why there was such a communication
from the COMELEC to the LGUs because there was really no reason for such purchase considering that
the 1,991 machines to be provided to all LGUs, cities and municipalities are enough for the workload.
CENTER FOR MIGRANT ADVOCACY (CMA) ON
ABSENTEE VOTING
Ms. Ellene Sana, of the Center for Migrant Advocacy (CMA), started her presentation by citing the
distribution of roughly seven million. According to data provided by the Commission for Filipinos Overseas,
most Filipinos migrate to the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and Western Europe. While overseas
workers are deployed in Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Japan, Italy, Malaysia, Singapore and Kuwait. She said
that among the 5,519,263 documented Filipinos overseas, 2,758,874 are potential voters.
Ms. Sana said that RA 9189 or Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) Act provides that all Filipino
citizens overseas not, otherwise, disqualified by law are allowed to vote. This includes immigrants and
permanent residents upon execution of affidavit of intent to resume actual physical residence not later
than 3 years after registration. The OAV Act allows overseas Filipinos to vote for national elective
positions such as: President, Vice President, Senators, and Party-List Representatives. She also discussed
the requirements for voters, the manner of voting, how campaigns will be done, and oversight provisions
of the law. (see annex 07 for the presentation on the OAV act)
FORUM
A clarification regarding the voting period of the overseas Filipino workers was made. It was
stated that the land-based OFWs have 30 days within whichto cast their votes while the sea-based have
60 days. If the election in the Philippines is on May 10, casting of votes will start on April 10 for the landbased OFWs and March 12 for those on-board the vessel. An argument was also raised regarding the
campaign period. If the official campaign period is 90 days before the elections, there is only one month
to campaign overseas since some of them can vote 60 days before elections in the Philippines. On the
issue of dual citizenship issue, the Philippines do not recognize dual citizenship since there is no dual
citizenship law in the Philippines yet.
Another point raised was about campaigning abroad. As provided for in the law, as far as
campaigning overseas is concerned, the candidate who wants to go abroad will have to observe the laws
of the host country. And most probably, rallies will be held in the embassies.
Another concern that was raised was the impact of charter change on absentee voting. It was
included in the Mandatory Review that they will undergo review 2 years after the implementation of
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Proceedings
overseas absentee voting in May 2004 and part of the function of that scope of work is factoring in any
changes in the political structure. One of the very real concerns is that will there be elections or none.
On the other concern, if there are OFWs who want to be poll-watchers, definitely there is also a
provision for the participation of organizations and individuals who are citizens of the Philippines, who
are qualified and registered voters of the Philippines to take part in the monitoring of the elections and
observing the procedure of the elections. The COMELEC already drafted a resolution regarding accreditation
criteria for overseas Filipino groups or even those that are based here who would want to take part in
information dissemination activities and other things related to absentee voting.
WORKSHOP STREAM 2 – RESPONSIBILITIES OF VOTER EDUCATION STAKEHOLDERS
ACADEME
The La Salle Institute of Governance (LSIG) is trying to undertake a training-needs-assessment in
partnership with NAMFREL and, as representatives from the Institute said, possibly with COMELEC also.
The training-needs-assessment is to prepare the voters for the automated election because LSIG believes
that there is a need to identify the specific needs of particular voters. Aside from having a general voters’
education, they believed that there is also a need to identify the areas of vulnerabilities because there
might be a problem in the introduction of the new process of election. They want to develop a voters’
education program that is responsive to the demands of automated electoral processes. The purpose of
the study will be to assess the training needs of citizens and identify learning obstacles arising from
differences in age, income, literacy, etc. Younger ones tend to adapt more easily in the automated
process than the older ones.
The methodologies that they will undertake include the profiling exercise in which the profiles
can be used to generate hypothesis and anticipate the areas of vulnerabilities of various sectors. Specific
sectors such as senior citizens can have difficulties in shifting to the new system. The study will ascertain
the potential laggards and the early adaptors to electoral automation. They will also have simulation
games to test the procedure with particular groups of people. The actual impact or effect of an automated
election to the voter can be approximated using simulation games. Through this method also, the
effectiveness of the production and design of education materials can be evaluated and a more detailed
examination of the problem can be pursued. These simulation games will be documented to assess the
behavioral changes in the different phases of the voting process. There will also be focus group discussions
in order to gauge the reactions of the voters to the new process, and they will also be doing household
surveys.
An important question was raise on the ability of the academe to teach responsible citizenship to
the students. The idea of citizenship, as a right and rights should be exercised and should be claimed,
became a point of discussion. It was pointed out that in order to exercise these rights, there are skills
needed—skills that will allow people to understand how the political process works. The voters’ education
has to consider the type of political system that we have. Do the voters know, for instance, the function
of a congressman when they choose a candidate for congressman? Will they vote for a candidate based
on his/her ability to make policies? The function of each position—in the executive and in the legislative—
should be emphasized to the people. In the long run, they think there might be a need to shift to a more
program-based type of government. The current presidential system is personality-based and candidatebased type of system. But even under a presidential system, a voters’ education program can be undertaken
by emphasizing the functions of the legislative and executive positions. Let the people understand how
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Proceedings
the political system works and show them the points of intervention. Another point for emphasis was
clarifying that voting is part of the democratization process and that part of this process is the capacitybuilding for the voters to engage in such process.
POLITICAL PARTIES
Mr. Doy Romero expressed the importance of political parties in the electoral process, though at
present state of the political parties he considered it as the weakest link in the electoral process. The
electoral system is about these 40 million voters choosing between contractors in which the contractors
are the organizations that must deliver a certain quality of life to the people after 3 years or six years. It
is not about choosing Juan or Pedro, it is about choosing a set of people who will make government work,
who will be in the saddle for three or six years.
A Political party is supposed to be a team. Choosing the players must not come from different
teams because the team will not work together harmoniously. So, political parties must present people
with holistic program choices. Political parties are organized to aggregate interests. From this, people
can make a choice between party A and party B. What people are choosing for is a vision of a future. In
the Philippines, there are 25 departments. Political parties can present promises on what they can do in
each of the 25 departments and the people should choose which political party they want based on their
programs. The political parties have to tell the people how they will deliver their programs so they must
present their track records, that is, if they have a good economist in their party, etc. And people must
evaluate them based on these track records.
Another thing that political parties must keep in mind is the idea of accountability. At the end of
the contract period, people should assess what the officials had done. If they fell short, how short were
they? The people must measure as to what extent did the political parties able to deliver their programs.
In Iloilo, they have what is called Ulat Bayan wherein people assemble and evaluate the officials.
Political party institutes must educate their politicians on what a political party should be. A
political party must have a good organization. It should be equipped with headquarters and employees
and office supplies in order to educate the people. A political party must be one of the most sophisticated
organizations in the country because they are supposed to be the backbone of the government that is
going to run this country. A political party must be a good resource of the leaders.
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
Ms. Teresita Baltazar, Commissioner of the Presidential Commission Against Graft and Corruption
(PAGC), shared that government agencies, like other sectors of society, have a responsibility to contribute
towards clean, honest, fair, and orderly elections. The contributions are clearly spelled out in the Omnibus
Election Code, the Constitution and the Administrative Code in terms of prohibitions which, unfortunately,
are honored more in their breach than in their observance.
Election prohibitions:
o Influencing or coercing subordinate to campaign or vote for or against any candidate.
o Hiring new employees 45 days before a regular election or 30 days before a special election.
o Promoting or increasing salaries of government officials or employees within the election
period.
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Proceedings
o
o
o
o
o
o
Transferring offices or employees in the civil service during the election period without
COMELEC approval.
Engaging in any partisan political activity.
Using public fund, equipment, and facilities for any partisan political activity
Releasing public funds for all kinds of public works except for on-going ones before the
campaign period or those under foreign agreement.
Allowing prisoners to leave their detention cells 60 days before and 30 days after election.
Appointing or utilizing the services of special policemen, special agents or persons
performing similar functions during the election period, on the day before and on election
day.
These prohibitions are not mentioned anymore and people may be surprised that these exist at
all. These prohibitions are never enforced. Government agencies, particularly the COMELEC, are supposed
to enforce these provisions. Has anybody ever heard of anybody being penalized for violating these
prohibitions? The civil society must also include these prohibitions in their voters’ education programs.
Ms. Baltazar also added that people in the government are usually the ones violating the laws and
rules with impunity thinking that they are above the law, they do not even cringe or flinch. She emphasized
that voters’ education is not just about teaching our people about electoral laws, rules and regulations.
It is about empowering people to take action. She also said that to form enlightened and responsible
voters, people must first and foremost form themselves into good citizens who yield the Filipino values
enshrined in the preamble of the constitution.
Mr. Ramon Casiple of CER proposed to include constitutional reform issues in the voter’s education
program or prepare the people for the possible engagement in changing the constitution. He said that
there are several implications of constitutional reform on voters’ education. First, it will add work because
in addition to explaining how the modernized voting works, and how can new system of absentee voting
will be implemented, and the general topic of citizen education including values formation, etc, the voter
education advocates will have to add the topic of constitutional reform. Secondly, if it is the Constitutional
Convention, there is the additional process of electing delegates to the Constitutional Convention. And
that the voter educators will have to explain along with the issues. Thirdly, in monitoring of voter education,
the CER will have to have different handling of how these all will be done.
He also raised the following concerns:
-
Ask the political party leaders to enjoin and unify and try to educate the people regarding the new
rules (computerization).
-
Discuss the charter change with the political parties.
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Engagement from ‘the barangay level to the municipality level, up to the district level in helping
the political parties.
-
Suggestions: The congressmen and the senators must be trained to be more empirical-oriented
and not have anecdotal reasons why they come up with laws. Laws and proposal must be a
political party proposal and not individual proposal in order to mobilize more of the academic
expertise, technical expertise to make a very good law.
-
Political ads should be program-oriented.
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Proceedings
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Strengthen and modernize the political parties and also the COMELEC.
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Political parties must be program-based and not personality-based.
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Voters’ education must be included in the NSTP program and in the curriculum of the universities.
-
Should have a resource center to acquire materials.
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CER is a crucial source
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Monitor the congress.
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NGOs must generate critical information so that people can make appropriate decisions.
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Voting based on performance capacity and not base on personality must be emphasized in the
voters’ education.
-
Undertake a generic voters’ education program and then have a context-specific voters’ education
program (e.g. How can voters’ education prevent electoral corruption?)
COMMUNITY-BASED VOTERS EDUCATION
The workshop raised issues on the citizenry’s cynicism towards the electoral process, wherein the
participants proposed that community-based voters’ education must reflect the ideal values in choosing
the candidates. The group also recognized that community-based engagement entails a multi-sectoral
approach.
There were also technical issues discussed: on modernization, absentee voting, the potential 11
million first time voters and information dissemination regarding the party list system. Considering the
limited time before the 2004 elections, it was proposed that, content-wise, the education materials
should focus on the technical aspect of the electoral process (e.g. the introduction of automated counting
machines). However, such voters’ education materials should also contain a module on values formation
that addresses the qualitative aspect of the electorate.
These are the following recommendations made during the workshop:
· Content-wise:
o How to vote (technical aspect)?
o How to vote wisely (values formation - dependent on the program of the local
organizations who will implement the campaign)?
· CER to act as a coordinative body
· What is the role of the CER in the electoral education campaign?
DAY 3 (MAY 28, 2003)
DISCUSSION ON SUMMIT DECLARATION AND RESOLUTIONS
Mr. Jeremy Nishimori of ECPG presented the draft Summit Declaration and Resolutions, after
which he opened the floor for comments and inputs.
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Proceedings
The plenary proposed that the secretariat convene a drafting committee to make the necessary
style adjustments to the Summit Declaration without sacrificing the substantive issues raised during the
plenary discussions. The plenary also approved the unified proposals for the voter education campaign.
In closing, Ms. Rebecca Malay thanked the participants, guests and convenors for their valuable
contributions and declared the Summit adjourned.
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Proceedings
National Voters’ Education Summit 2003 Proceedings