DFA says reports of pre-shaded ballots in OAV ‘fake news’

The Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday sought to allay concerns about the prospect of pre-shaded ballots being handed out to Filipinos during the overseas absentee voting for Eleksyon 2022, but acknowledged that a spoiled ballot was distributed in Singapore “due to human error.”

“I would like to emphasize and inform the Committee that there is no truth to the allegations circulating in social media that pre-shaded ballots were distributed to overseas voters. Except for that incident in Singapore wherein there was an impression that a pre-shaded ballot was given,” Foreign Undersecretary Brigido Dulay said during the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms hearing.

He was referring to the spoiled ballot that had been "inadvertently" and “unintentionally” given to one voter on April 11, the second day of overseas voting for the 2022 elections, according to the Philippine Embassy in Singapore.

“By virtue of a human error, when the ballot was given out to the voter, nagkadikit po ‘yung balota. So meron pong dalawa na na naibigay dahil sa imprenta. When the ballot was filled out, the voter actually filled out two ballots kasi magkadikit. When this was brought into the VCM, nakita naman ‘yung isa, and that was considered a spoiled ballot,” he said.

(By virtue of a human error, when the ballot was given out to the voter, two ballots got stuck together. So there were two that had been given because of the printing. When the ballot was filled out, the voter actually filled out two ballots. When this was brought into the VCM, the other one was seen, and was considered a spoiled ballot.)

However, he added that due to another human error, the spoiled ballot was mixed with the unused ballots. This was how the spoiled ballot ended up being given to the voter.

Dulay also made the remark in light of a circulating post on social media about a supposed pre-shaded ballot found by a voter in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on April 10.

The Philippine Consulate General’s Office (PCGO) in Dubai has refuted the reports, stressing that poll watchers from at least five different political parties present during the entire voting period likewise witnessed or reported no irregularity.

“We would like to call out the news circulating about this, insofar as the reports of our post were concerned, the alleged distribution of pre-shaded ballots are fake news,” Dulay said.

He pointed out that poll watchers were indeed present during the voting period and none of them has ever objected or said that there was such an incident.

Filipino voters who applied for the overseas voting option can cast their ballots until May 9, 2022, or Election Day in the Philippines. — BM, GMA News