Boto Mo, iPatrol Mo launched today

MANILA, Philippines - ABS-CBN is launching today its year-long campaign to encourage Filipinos to begin taking an active role in the 2010 Presidential Elections.

Boto Mo, iPatrol Mo: Ako Ang Simula calls on Filipinos, especially the youth, to get involved this early by registering as voters and closely watching preparations for the 2010 race.

ABS-CBN will set up voter registration booths today in Metro Manila, Pampanga, Cebu and Davao. On its website (abs-cbnnews.com) and through text, it will also encourage voters here and abroad to report their concerns and observations on the coming elections.

ABS-CBN SVP for News and Current Affairs Maria Ressa urged people to join the campaign and sign up at Boto Mo, iPatrol Mo (BMPM) booths.

The activities will begin on Umagang Kay Ganda, which will be held at La Salle gymnasium in Greenhills, where the first quick election count was held in 1986. A voter and BMPM registration booth will be set up in La Salle.

ABS-CBN Newsgathering head Charie Villa said ABS-CBN News teams will also be deployed in Pampanga, Cebu, and Davao where they will report on voter registration in these areas and the current political situation there. For the entire day, Ces Orena Drilon and Pinky Webb will anchor from Davao, and Julius Babao from Cebu.

Voter registration and BMPM booths will be set up in San Fernando Plaza in San Fernando, Pampanga; Plaza Independencia in Cebu City; and People’s Park in Davao City.

In the evening, ANC will bring together for the first time the reported presidential aspirants at a leadership forum at the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City. It will be aired live from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., also on Monday. Confirmed guests as of May 7 are Senators Panfilo Lacson, Francis Escudero, Mar Roxas, Richard Gordon, Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio, and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro.

Ressa said the campaign will also be made on cyberspace, especially the social networking sites such as Multiply, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. abs-cbnnews.com will launch its on-line and texting polling on choices for 2010 as well as the issues that public thinks should be addressed by the next president.

ABS-CBN is partnering with artists who will stage a mini-concert titled 365 Days to Change… Toda Na ‘To at the Music Museum at 8 p.m. Atom Araullo will host the event.

Introduced in 2007, BMPM empowered citizens to patrol their votes by encouraging them to report election-related anomalies using new media. Its huge success didn’t only spark citizen participation, it also enabled ABS-CBN to document illegal election practices all over the country. It has received recognition from the Philippine Quill Awards, the Anvil Awards, and the Gold Quill Awards.