SC orders Comelec, Smartmatic to comment on camera ban

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) has given the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and Smartmatic Total Information Management 10 days to comment on the petition to lift the ban on digital cameras and mobile phones in polling precincts tomorrow.

Three days before the midterm polls, the SC in full court issued a three-page notice requiring the Comelec and Smartmatic to comment on the petition within a non-extendible period of 10 days from notice.

The petitioners are the election watchdog Automated Election System Watch, Buklod Pamilya, Capitol Christian Leadership, Citizens’ Crime Watch, Connecting Businessmen in the Marketplace to Christ, Latter Rain Harvest Ministries, One Vote Our Hope, Upper Room Brethren Church Philippines, Bernard Roque, Diego Magpantay, Dolores Lavado, Ernesto Del Rosario, Jose Lagunzad Gonzales, Juan Pring, Maria Corazon Akol, Melchor Magdamo, Nelson Celis, Pablo Olmeda, Troadio Abitona, Vicente Macatangay and Wendell Unlayao.

The SC also required the petitioners to comply with the procedural requirements within five days, such as the submission of proper verification and certification on non-forum shopping and proof of service.

Last month, the petitioners filed a 26-page petition asking the SC to strike down the rule prohibiting the use of digital cameras and cellular phones in polling precincts under the General Instructions issued by the poll body based on Resolution No. 10088 issued for the 2016 polls.

The petitioners alleged that the poll body committed grave abuse of discretion in issuing the rule that has a chilling effect on watchers and voters by prohibiting the use of digital cameras and cellular phones without specifying the start and end of the ban.

They claimed that the rule is against the Automated Election law, which allows political parties, candidates or citizen arms to examine and test the polling machines to make sure that the system is operating properly.

The groups pointed out that the Comelec, in its previous General Instructions, allowed the taking of photographs of the proceedings and incidents provided that the secrecy and sanctity of ballots are protected.

Meanwhile, an official of the Department of Education said public school teachers who will serve in the midterm elections are not required to use the new mobile application for their monitoring task.

But Education Undersecretary Alain del Pascua said the mobile application is a simpler, easier, quicker and more efficient option of filing the required reports that teachers have to submit. – With Janvic Mateo