Poe-Chiz still wary of poll fraud even with automated polls

Even with the automated elections in 2016, presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe expressed fears over the possibility of poll fraud similar to the one that allegedly caused the defeat of his adoptive father Fernando Poe Jr. in the last manual presidential elections in 2004.

"Kami ni Senator Chiz ay tumatakbong takot, running scared.... Importante talaga na yung ating mga supporters ay maging mapagmatyag. Malaki aking kumpiyansa sa mga grupo katulad ng PPCRV at saka mga NGOs na maaring tumulong magbantay ng ating mga boto," Poe said in a news conference in Pangasinan.

"Nagkakaroon tayo palagi ng phobia dahil doon sa nangyari noong 2004. Kaya this time, malaki ang maitutulong ng media na bantayan ang mga iba’t ibang prisinto kung saan maaring magkaroon ng dayaan, yung mga election hotspots kung saan meron talagang pwedeng pagtitigil ng boto," she added.

Despite leading the ranks in the latest presidential and vice presidential survey conducted by pollster Pulse Asia, Poe said she and her running mate could not afford to be complacent.

"Alam mo organisado kami pero hindi ganoon karami ang aming pondo para magkaroon kami ng ganoong kumpiyansa tungkol dito," Poe said.

In the 2004 presidential elections, Fernando Poe Jr. lost the elections by more than one million votes to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

However, the legitimacy of Arroyo's administration was questioned in 2005 when alleged wiretapped recordings with then Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano surfaced and indicated cheating during the manual counting process.

Poe on Friday warned that cheating does not only occur during the counting of votes, but it may also take the form of intimidation or vote-buying.

Poe and Escudero are in Pangasinan to woo the residents of the vote-rich province in their bid to win President and Vice President in the May elections. -Jessica Bartolome/NB, GMA News