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Bongbong camp to Leni: Poll officers don’t have to be registered voters to assigned precincts
Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) are not expected to be registered voters to the precincts they are serving or have served, the camp of former Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said Friday.
Marcos' spokesman and lawyer Vic Rodriguez said all BEIs are only required to be registered voters.
Rodriguez issued the statement after the camp of Vice President Leni Robredo, whose victory in the 2016 elections Marcos is contesting, questioned the list of witnesses from Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao and Basilan submitted by Marcos in a bid for a recount of the election results.
Section 5 of Comelec Resolution No. 10031, signed 2015 by then-Comelec chairman Andres Bautista, cited that a person is required to be "a registered voter of the city or municipality" to become a member or chairperson of the BEI.
The other requirements include:
- Has good moral character and irreproachable reputation
- Has never been convicted of any election offense or of any other crime punishable b more than six months of imprisonment
- Has no pending election offense case against him
- Able to speak and write English or the local dialect
Marcos' lawyers said the argument was "erroneous."
On Friday, Rodriguez said Robredo was "assuming" that the poll officers they presented on their list were "not qualified."
"Robredo should present proof that those whom she claims to have served as BEI's are disqualified instead of just resorting to the spread of fake news and making irresponsible, false statements," the lawyer said.
"Assuming they are indeed not qualified, Robredo should be reminded that it was 'her own COMELEC' then led by its impeached head, Andy Bautista, who appointed them, and not us." he added.
Marcos lost the May 2016 vice presidential race to Robredo by 263,473 votes. —Margaret Claire Layug/KBK/ALG, GMA News
