Election watchdogs step up activities

Church-based and militant poll watchdog groups on Tuesday stepped up their efforts to thwart various forms of poll irregularities. The groups released email addresses, landlines and cell phone where the public can send in reports of intimidation, snatching and irregularities. "Di lang ang mga presinto sa araw ng halalan ang dapat subaybayan. Sa totoo lang, mas malaking pandaraya ang maaaring mangyari sa loob ng 1 o 2 linggo pagkatapos ng eleksyon, kung kailan nagaganap ang canvassing sa mga munisipyo, lungsod at probinsya," umbrella group Volunteers for Clean Elections said in a statement. The group offered cell phone numbers 0922-8600752 (0922-8600SLB) and 0905-3273999 to field calls and text messages reporting fraud. VforCE, which has 10,000 lawyers and paralegal volunteers, also includes the National Movement for Free Elections, One Voice, and Integrated Bar of the Philippines. One of its members, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), offered its landlines 5261786 and 5262013. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines National Secretariat for Social Action offered cell phone number 0917-7339619 to receive reports. Legal Network for Truthful Elections, a network of volunteer lawyers, also offered cell phone numbers 0921-5355949 and 0927-3037122. Those who want to report via email can send their reports to vforce2007@gmail.com, parishpcrv@yahoo.com, namfrel@yahoo.com, admin@nassa.org.ph, and aacunesco@yahoo.com. - GMANews.TV