Comelec disputes PCIJ report on voter turnout in Lanao del Sur town

MANILA, Philippines—The Commission on Elections (Comelec) clarified Wednesday that the voter turnout in a town in Lanao del Sur during the May 2019 elections is not over 100 percent, disputing a report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ).

In a statement, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez cited the official data from their Election Records and Statistics Department showing that Amai Manabilang had a recorded voter turnout of only 5,271 voters or 95.87% of the town’s 5,498 registered voters.

Citing data from the poll body itself, the PCIJ in its Nov. 25 report claimed that the number of voters who cast their ballots at Amai Manabilang in the May polls exceeded the town’s registered voters by 4,309 for a voter turnout of 178.4 percent.

“The City/Municipal Certificate of Canvass for Amai Manabilang (Bumbaran) duly signed and certified by the City/Municipal Board of Canvassers, very clearly showed that only 5,271 voters voted in Amai Manabilang, not 9,807,” Jimenez said.

The Comelec official also belied that the municipality of Buadiposo-Buntong, also in Lanao del Sur, had a voter turnout of only 50 percent.

“Official Comelec records show that out of the 10,538 registered voters of Buadiposo-Buntong, 8,956 voters actually cast their ballots on election day, for a voter turnout of 84.99%,” Jimenez said.

“These observations about the claims made in the report make it prudent to undertake a thorough review of the source documents and of the conclusions drawn from them,” he added.

Edited by JPV