Pampanga election official accused of pre-shading ballots in Guagua

A member of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) has been accused of distributing pre-shaded ballots at a clustered polling center in Guagua, Pampanga.

Maria Victoria Dulcero, assistant director of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Education and Information Department, said the report came from the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting-National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections secretariat Fr. Kenneth Alde.

Comelec has yet to identify the election inspector, she added.

A certain Elsa Bondoc reported the incident to Fr. Alde, said Dulcero.

The pre-shaded ballots covered the barangays of San Miguel Betis, San Juan Nepo and San Juan Bautista. They were shaded in favor of gubernatorial candidate Lilia Pineda, vice-gubernatorial bet Dennis Pineda and Guagua mayorial bet Ric Rivera.

"This constitutes election offense," said Dulcero. — BM, GMA News