NAMFREL needs over 100,000 volunteers to monitor Eleksyon 2022

The National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) will need around 105,000 volunteers for its activities in securing the 2022 national and local elections, its official said on Tuesday.

In a press conference, NAMFREL Secretary General Eric Jude Alvia said the organization wants to tap more volunteers as the Commission on Elections  (Comelec) plans to set additional voting precincts.

“Ideally, if we will cover the 98,000 voting precincts, that's also the same number that we are aiming,” he said.

“I think since Comelec is also planning to increase the number of voting precincts so more or less 100,000 to 105,00 volunteers,” he added.

For the 2022 elections, NAMFREL said it will work on automated elections system (AES) monitoring, open election data (OED), random manual audit (RMA), and parallel vote tabulation (PVT).

The organization will focus on AES to help ensure that the count is accurate.

NAMFREL said it is working with third party oversight of the AES by observing the Comelec's procurement of goods and services, attending meetings with the AES Steering Committee, and being a member of the Advisory Council.

“Makikilahok din ang NAMFREL sa local source code review, at pagbabantay sa ballot printing, mock polls o elections, delivery ng mga makina, final testing and sealing  ng mga machines, at iba pa,” Alvia said.

(NAMFREL will also join the local source code review, and the monitoring of ballot printing, mock elections, delivery of election materials, final testing and sealing of machines and others.)

NAMFREL National Council member Lito Averia said the organization will give the public access to an OED website containing election-related information.

“Bibigyan ng Comelec ng access ang NAMFREL sa mga hihingin naming mga impormasyon, at ito ay ilalagay ng NAMFREL sa internet sa pamamagitan ng isang secure website for public access,” Averia said.

(COMELEC will give access to NAMFREL to requested information, which will be published on a secure website for public access.)

He said the advantages of having this website are: general information for voters and other election stakeholders; voter assistance; precinct-level results validation; AES performance analysis; data research; coordination between the public and other election stakeholders.

NAMFREL will also check the manual comparison of votes from the machines and those manually counted inside the polling centers included in the audit.

In August, NAMFREL proposed to the COMELEC putting QR codes not only on the machine-generated elections returns (ER) but also on the voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT), or the receipt.

The organization will also conduct a parallel vote tabulation “but this will depend on whether the COMELEC adopts its proposal to put QR codes on election returns.”

NAMFREL National Council member Fernando Contreras Jr. said the tabulation adds another layer of security and transparency to the election results.

With this, Contreras said it can be detected if the official results were being manipulated while being consolidated.

“Nagkakaroon ng oportunidad ang taumbayan na makilahok sa bilangan at  masundan ang bilang ng kanilang mga boto,” Contreras said.

(The public has an opportunity to join the count and monitor the count of their votes.)  —KBK, GMA News