Comelec Chairman George Garcia (Screenshot from Facebook Live)

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia batted for the joint presence of elements of the poll body and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in order to deter incidents of poll fraud--like "shabo". 

Garcia made the call Monday, Sept. 11 during the House Committee on Appropriations' deliberation on the 2024 budget of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).  

In the hearing, Lanao del Norte 1st district Rep. Khalid Dimaporo raised the viral shabo incident and asked how Comelec would prevent it in the upcoming Oct.30, 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE). 

"It became viral, of an election area in Mindanao where the teacher was sitting in the classroom and voting several ballots. This is the notorious one pen vote...I'd like to know what are the safeguards this coming 2025 that the Comelec is preparing so that that one pen vote would no longer occur," Dimaporo said in his interpellation. 

"Yung binabanggit niyo po Mr. Chair, yung tungkol sa tinatawag nating 'shabo'--shaded by one person (What you're referring to Mr. Chair is what they call 'shabu'--shaded by one person)," Garcia said. 

"Dati po (Back then), [it was called] WBO--written by one person. Ngayon (Now), shabo. Especially in controlled areas, in certain areas in Mindanao. Sila na lang magshe-shade, sila na magma-mass feed sa machine (They will perform the shading, then they will mass feed the ballots to the machines)," he explained. 

"We must be able to have that kind of presence--the Comelec and our law enforcement authorities. Katulad po ng nangyari sa Cotabato City (Like what we did in Cotabato City)," Garcia said. 

"The Comelec deiced to use Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel to be our electoral board members. But na lang po pinaghandaan ng Comelec (Thankfully Comelec was prepared)," he noted. 

As part of his response to Dimaporo, Garcia highlighted the need to focus less on the Comelec-contracted vote counting machines when it comes to addressing election fraud. 

"Let's focus on things outside the machines. Wala naman pong pakialam ang machines eh (The machines don't care)," said the Comelec chief. 

"Ito yung tina-try nating i-emphasize sa lahat...counting machines lang po yan eh. Ako po practitioner for 23 years; hindi po yung machines. Yung machines napatunayan since 2010 nagta-tally, tama. Perfect yung results," Garcia said. 

(This is what we emphasize to everyone...these are just counting machines. I've been a practitioner for 23 years; its not about the machines. The machines have been proven to tally correctly since 2010. The results are perfect.) 

Automated election was introduced in the Philippines the same year.