by Mark Rodney Vertido
Before the elections I really wanted to make my very first election experience in a right manner. I really wanted to be a PPCRV volunteer because it is Church-based and officially recognized by the COMELEC as the citizens’ arm.
It was almost a week remaining before the election but I was not yet registered as a PPCRV volunteer because I do not know where to go. Then suddenly, the Secretary of the Cathedral Choir, wherein I am a member, called me. Tita Cathy Peralta, as we call her, recruited me to be an encoder for the PPCRV. And because that was the opportunity that I was waiting for and so I agreed to join.
After I was finished casting my vote at eight in the morning, I rushed to the PPCRV center to start my work under the roving team. That time, my work as an encoder was not yet exercised. Suddenly, they placed me in a different task to be a receiver of the election returns (ER). That was just alright at the first place I am only a volunteer.
The daytime was really quite a very static moment for there are no ERs yet. But that time I was then monitoring the cases of fraud and problems encountered by the PPCRV poll watchers because that time I received a protocol from the CBCP News Agency, being a diocesan correspondent, to monitor the situation. I was able to send real-time reports to the CBCP News while being a PPCRV roving.
The challenge begun late afternoon when it was really discussed that PPCRV volunteers really lack in some polling center and it was already time to print the ER. And so they appointed me again to a new job to be a poll watcher this time. Therefore, I was a roving personnel and a poll watcher.
As I was deployed in a local elementary school with some seven clustered precincts, I saw indifferences in the process. First, the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) failed to tear into two the unused ballots before the printing of the ER. Second, the BEIs seem to be very confused on the process having different interpretation of the procedure from one precinct to the other. Third, the poll watchers of the candidates where already assisting in the procedure which is a violation.
For the part of the PPCRV it seems that the volunteers was not assertive that much. I personally would like to challenge the procedures done in the precincts that I was able to observe but as I relate it to the senior volunteers I was advised not to talk anymore about it. I was very shock with that statement because we are there to check the procedure.
After I was able to get the 4th and the 22nd of the second print (supposedly 27th) copies of the ER, I returned back at the center and done my other job, this time encoding the results until 4 in the morning.
I had a great time serving in the recent elections. There maybe some flaws but generally we cannot blame anyone because the system is also new. But as an advice to those who wants to be a volunteer also I could say that you should be very patient and understanding. You need this in the field if you are a poll watcher. Patient and understanding yet you are a herald of truth so that the process will be CHAMP (Clean, Honest, Accurate, Meaningful, and Peaceful) elections as the CBCP calls it because we, the citizens, are the real champions if it we can make it a CHAMP. And lastly I should say that you should not really wait for anything if you want to be a volunteer. Be ready financially. I experienced that that I should sacrifice some money so that I can fulfill my work. Just be very ready because it is a real challenge to guard the people’s vote.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Other volunteers also recalled their recent experience as PPRCV arm during the 2010 elections:
How did you become a PPCRV volunteer?
Arlene: “Dati na akong PPCRV volunteer, na-invite ako sa Church”
Marlon: “Na-invite ako ni Ate Arlene”
Khay: “Na-invite din ako sa church, nila Ate Cha (Arlene)”
What was your assigned role as a PPCRV volunteer during the 2010 elections? How was it?
Arlene: “Previous elections, poll watcher ako. This year, na-assign na ako as Lay coordinator which is mas mahirap kasi ang daming paper works. Ako yung taga-call ng meetings, main contact person, lalo na nung on the day of the election, sa akin itinatawag ang mga complaints.”
Marlon: “I was assigned as a poll watcher, more on monitoring and observe for discrepancies. Parang tulong na rin sa mga BEI, minsan nire-remind naming sila about dun sa process ayon sa pagkakaalam namin”
Khay: “Na-assign po ako sa Voters Assistance Desk, ako po yung tumutulong sa paghahanap ng precints po nila kung san sila dapat boboto. Mahirap pero masaya din naman po kasi first time ko mag-volunteer”
What was your best experience you got out of being a PPCRV volunteer?
Arlene: “Yung alam mong nagiging bahagi ka ng proseso at alam mong nakakatulong ka”
Marlon: “The sense of duty, knowing na you’ve done your share na bantayan ang boto”
Khay: “Nakakatuwang makita yung mga tao na excited sila to vote using the automated system. First time ko po kasi ma-witness yun”
What was the not so good experience? What do you think can be done differently next time?
Arlene: “Yung pressure before the elections, ang daming requirements na hinihingi last minute. Saka ilang araw before the elections, kulang pa kami ng volunteers. Siguro next time, mas mahaba ang preparation kelangan like 3 months before the elections”
Marlon: “Siguro yung sa process ng automated elections, need more voters’ education, orientation…saka need more support from the Parish and the community”
Khay: “Other volunteers are not as active, siguro need more ng orientation on their role and how they can help out like pede siguro silang tumulong sa pag-aayos ng pila, crowd control para mas maayos ang process”
Any message to those who want to become a volunteer for PPCRV in the future elections?
Arlene: “Magandang experience ang maging volunteer para makita mo first hand ang election process at maging bahagi ng pagbabantay ng boto”
Marlon: “Dapat mas maging involved sila sa elections, makibahagi sa pagbabago”
Khay: “Dapat hands-on sila sa responsibility, buo ang loob at di biased”
To all PPCRV volunteers out there, thank you for doing your share in the democratic process. Mabuhay kayo!
PPCRV volunteers/Contributors:
