MANILA, Philippines — The National Citizen’s Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) on Tuesday said it would still monitor the May 13 elections despite its pullout as citizens’ arm of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
The poll watchdog rejected its accreditation on Friday, after the Comelec denied its request to set up and maintain an Open Election Data website for the midterm polls, which would require election data access from the poll body.
READ: Namfrel cuts ties with Comelec for May 13 midterm polls
READ: Namfrel awaits Comelec accreditation of open election data project
Namfrel national chair Gus Lagman said the group would still monitor election activities like the final testing and sealing of vote counting machines.
“Nandun pa rin kami na tinitignan kung talagang tinetest ‘yung makina. Everything else gagawin pa rin naman. Maraming gagawin ang volunteers namin, even before elections,” Namfrel National Chairman Gus Lagman said in an interview over dzMM.
In a press briefing Monday, Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez said the poll body was confident it could find a replacement for Namfrel, which is supposed to be the poll body’s lead partner for the conduct of the random manual audit to countercheck election results.
READ: Namfrel pullout as citizen’s arm for May polls not an easy matter for Comelec