Cebu students work for voter’s education
Students in Cebu are campaigning to increase awareness of the voters on the automated election system, election rules and guidelines and even on the Philippine political system.
Last Saturday, around 100 students attended the lecture workshop at the University of Cebu-Banilad, Cebu City campus.
The event according to Carlo Cabatingan, a member of the University of the Philippines – Cebu Election Committee is aimed to educate voters how to use the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines.
The PCOS machine however wasn’t available and students instead proceeded with a mock election using manual procedure.
Meanwhile University of Cebu College of Law students under environmental lawyer and Cebu Daily News columnist Gloria Estenzo-Ramos are doing a research on the compliance by senatorial candidates on the May 13, 2013 election guidelines.
Ramos’s students are monitoring different places in downtown Cebu to see if campaign paraphernalia of candidates are posted in the proper places, based on Comelec rules and environmental laws, said Glenn Rey Anino, a first year law student in the UC College of Law.
A national campaign dubbed Green Electoral Initiative has been launched in Manila and would around major cities like Cebu and Davao to grade candidates based on a set of parameters, mainly on environment issues and concerns.
“Hopefully, in Cebu, more candidates will be evaluated as green,” said Ramos.
The GEI asks candidates the question: Berde ka ba? (Are you green?) to get a snapshot of where senatorial candidates stand on environmental issues.
“The candidates may have green pick-up lines which are effective in capturing the attention of the Filipino public,” said Edwin Alejo, National Coordinator for EcoWaste Coalition.
“But they should go beyond mere rhetoric and pursue legislation that would ensure protection of the environment.
“Our green masks signify our commitment to watch over these candidates relentlessly during the campaign period and to continue our vigilance until after they are elected,” he added. /Correspondent Tweeny M. Malinao
