Show biz personality came ready to vote, but…

CEBU CITY—Talent manager Annabelle Rama came prepared.

Rama, a congressional candidate for the city’s north district, brought her own blue Parker pen when she cast her vote at clustered precinct 271 in Zapatera Elementary School in Barangay (village) Zapatera here.

She apparently ignored the black pen on her armchair, which was provided by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to voters.

Rama had started shading her ballots when reporters noticed that she was using her pen, not the Comelec’s official pen, and called the attention of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) inside the precinct. A BEI asked her to use the black marker and was given a new one she could use.

Rama finished casting her votes and the precinct count optical scan accepted and counted her ballot. She was done voting in five minutes.

A BEI member, who asked not to be named, said Rama might not have known that she had to use the marker provided by the Comelec. He saw nothing wrong with what Rama did. In fact, he added, the Comelec had to buy ordinary pens because they were running out of markers.

Rama, her husband, Eddie Gutierrez, and son Richard arrived at the school at 9:45 a.m. and immediately proceeded to the precinct. She is registered under precinct number 137A.

Later, she went to Lahug High School, where children Ruffa, Richard and Johnrix are registered voters. Eddie voted at Busay Elementary School in Barangay Busay. Doris Bongcac and Bernadeth Rosales, Inquirer Visayas