Comelec office in Nueva Ecija probed for storing voters’ info with barangay

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is investigating one of its local offices in Nueva Ecija for allegedly storing voters' information sheets (VIS) with a barangay. 

“Mayroon akong pinapaimbestigahan, kung totoo man yan ay medyo sumama ang loob ko, sa isang local Comelec namin dahil nabalitaan doon binabagsak ang mismong VIS sa barangay,” poll chief George Erwin Garcia told reporters. 

(We are probing a local office that allegedly stored the VIS in a barangay facility.)

“Yan ang number one instruction: hinding-hindi dadalhin ang VIS sa barangay. Buti na lang, kaagad itong nai-report sa atin ng ating mga kababayan,” Garcia said. 

(That is the number one instruction: never give the VIS to the barangay. Fortunately, this was immediately reported to us.)

A VIS contains voters’ names and addresses, as well as instructions and reminders on how to cast ballots. It likewise includes the list of national and local candidates and 155 party-lists for the 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE).

Early this month, the poll body started the nationwide distribution of the VIS for Eleksyon 2025. Instead of barangay officials, the Comelec said they decided to hire temporary employees to distribute the VIS to prevent the process becoming “politicized.” 

The distributors will be provided with Comelec identification (ID) cards and mandated to hand the copies of the VIS to the voter. If the voter is not present at their registered address, an authorized representative may accept it on their behalf.

According to Garcia, the local Comelec office explained they coordinated with the barangay to verify if the voters are residents of the municipality. However, he dismissed it as a tactic and said sanctions may be imposed on the erring personnel if proven guilty. 

“Alam ko po sobrang dami nilang ginagawa pero hindi kadahilanan yun para hindi sundin ang instructions natin. Otherwise, sana hindi na lang kami nagpa-hire ng mga tao at binigay na lang namin sa mga barangay,” he said. 

(We know they have a lot on their plate but that is never an excuse to disobey our instructions. Otherwise, we should have never hired personnel for distribution.)

Meanwhile, the poll chief reminded voters that they should receive their copies of VIS for the 2025 NLE from Comelec personnel. 

“Inuulit ko sa mga kababayan natin, dpat mga taga-Comelec ang magbibigay sa inyo ng VIS. Hindi taga-barangay. Kung meron man pong tulong na hihingin ang Comelec sa barangay, yun ay alamin kung sino ba to, saan sila nakatira. Pero yung barangay mismo ang magbibigay ng VIS, bawal na bawal po yun,” said Garcia. 

(We want to emphasize that the VIS should be distributed by local Comelec personnel and not barangay officials.) — BM, GMA Integrated News

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