No prexy bet excluded in New Zealand overseas voting ballot, says poll exec

IMAGE: Daniella Marie Agacer

MANILA, Philippines — Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner George Garcia on Sunday dismissed as “fake” allegations that the name of a particular presidential candidate was excluded from ballot in the overseas absentee voting conducted in New Zealand.

“We only have one ballot template for [the] entire OFOV (Office for Overseas Voting) regardless of post,” Garcia told reporters in a group message.

“Fake news everywhere, dami na namin referral sa (we have so many referrals already to the) NBI (National Bureau of Investigation),” he added.

Garcia further explained that the fact that there is only one template serialized in New Zealand, there should have been at least 1,000 ballots that excluded a particular candidate.

This came after the Embassy of the Philippines in Wellington, New Zealand acknowledged the allegations circulating on social media that a voting ballot from the said embassy excluded the name of one of the presidential candidates.

“Anyone who claims that they have received a ballot with an erasure/non appearance of any of the entries is requested to return the entire ballot package to the Embassy so that we can verify the claim,” it said.

“The embassy is coordinating with [the] Comelec accordingly,” it added.

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/MUF