Poe, Escudero team to deploy 8 poll watchers per precinct

Team Galing at Puso of presidential bet Grace Poe and running mate Francis “Chiz” Escudero will have up to eight pairs of eyes to watch every precinct on Election Day.

Campaign manager and Cebu Rep. Joseph Ace Durano said that through its alliances with political parties  accredited by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Team GP would deploy up to two watchers each from the Nationalist People’s Coalition, Aksyon Democratico, Makabayan, and Bagumbayan (of senatorial bet Richard “Dick” Gordon) in every precinct.

“The watchers will serve in shifts. We will closely work with them as far as the deployment of watchers.  We have a team also working closely with PPCRV (Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting),” said Durano in a text message.

Poe spokesperson and Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian said that while operational details were still being firmed up, he said Team GP’s top priority was to make the votes for Poe and Escudero “appreciated properly” amid mounting concerns of cheating on May 9.

Team GP legal team spokesperson Bobby Lucila said their focus was the overall election process which would cover violations of campaign finance ceilings and disenfranchisement of voters to cheating the counting of ballots. “From what I heard right now, there are so many measures adopted by the Comelec, especially in the transmission process. We are equipping these volunteers with the necessary tools to preserve and protect the ballot,” said Lucila.

Last March 13, the NPC gathered hundreds of volunteer lawyers, information technology experts, accounting specialists and management experts at the NPC clubhouse in New Manila, Quezon City, as part of preparations to ensure the integrity of the political exercise.

“More than a poll victory, it is important that election results for the president and vice president are credible,” said Escudero.

Escudero underscored the importance of the role of the volunteers in Team GP’s road to the elections. “Whatever campaign, whatever advertisement, whatever sortie we make will be useless if we will only be cheated and our votes will not be counted,” said Escudero.

Poe herself remained wary of election cheating as her late father, Fernando Poe Jr., was the victim of massive cheating in the 2004 elections. RC