Comelec official proposes task force vs disinformation

Comelec Commissioner George Garcia speaks to the member of the press. John Eric Mendoza/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Election Commissioner George Garcia wants the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to go after those who question the integrity of the coming May 9 general elections.

“I will personally convince the commission en banc next week to create a task force against fake news,” he said in a media forum on Sunday.

He griped against claims circulating on social media that the election results have already been decided because the ballots to be used in the automated elections have been tampered with.

“Against anything that would undermine the integrity of the [electoral] process, we have to fight back,” said Garcia, a practicing election lawyer before he was appointed poll commissioner last month.

He urged the public to rely only on “trustworthy” news sources and “avoid fake news.”

Last week, the Comelec created a task force to investigate alleged vote buying incidents. Commissioner Aimee Ferolino was put in charge of Task Force Kontra Bigay.

The Comelec included in the task force representatives from the Department of Justice, Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine Information Agency, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Meanwhile, the Comelec has deployed at least 80 percent of the election supplies to be used for overseas voting that will start on April 10.

Garcia said all the election supplies would have reached the country’s embassies and consulates before voting starts next week.

He said two commissioners were currently abroad to oversee the “training” of embassy personnel who would man the overseas voting.

In its website, the Comelec reported that 1,697,215 registered overseas voters will vote for national candidates from April 10 to May 9.

It said 46 Philippine foreign posts will use an automated election system, while another 46 posts will use the manual system of voting.

Garcia said they would consider overseas voting a huge success if the voter turnout exceeds 1 million.

Overseas voting posted a 31-percent turnout in the 2016 presidential elections and an 18-percent turnout in the 2019 midterm elections.

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