The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is looking into possible electoral sabotage charges over the pre shading of 16,653 official ballots in 36 polling precincts in Maluso, Basilan, during Monday’s parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia said those responsible could face an election offense case and potentially a more serious electoral sabotage charge, depending on the investigation.
“That is an election offense. At the same time, we will look into the possibility of it being an electoral sabotage case as well. Cases will definitely come… we will not forgive you regardless of your position. We are not talking about who these people are. What’s important is someone will be held accountable,” Garcia said in an interview at the start of the elections.
The Comelec earlier placed Maluso under its control following the discovery of the pre shaded ballots.
Garcia said the Comelec would reprint all 16,653 compromised ballots through the National Printing Office and transport them first to Zamboanga City before sending them to Basilan.
He said the poll body has an existing protocol for such incidents and considered the immediate reporting of the problem important.
Garcia also said field personnel were instructed to inform Electoral Board members and voters about the delay caused by the replacement of the ballots.
Under election law, electoral sabotage is considered a special election offense and may carry a penalty of life imprisonment. It covers tampering with votes when the total number of votes involved exceeds 10,000.
An election offense, meanwhile, carries a penalty of one to six years in prison, along with removal of the right to vote and disqualification from holding public office.
The discovery of the pre shaded ballots affected the conduct of voting in the 36 precincts in Maluso as the Comelec moved to replace the compromised official ballots.
Photo courtesy of News5
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