Signatures from voters upon receiving their respective voter information sheets (VIS) will not be used for other endeavors such as People's Initiative (PI).
This was according to Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia who addressed the fake information spreading regarding the signatures.
"Huwag kayong matatakot, 'pag nakatanggap kayo nito okay lang pumirma, hindi po makakapanigil sa amin yung nagpreceive sa inyo kung wala kayong pirma (Don't be afraid; if you receive this, it's fine to sign it. The person who gave this to you won't get paid without your signature)," Garcia said in a press conference on Friday, March 28.
"Okay lang pumirma, hindi po gagamitin yun sa kung saan man, yung mga sinasabi kasi ng iba, baka daw gamitin sa People's Initiative, o yung mga iba pang mga aktibidad na nandyan, hindi po yun magagamit. Yun po ay para sa amin, para sa COA, para pag nagbayad kami sigurado yung binayad namin ay nakabase doon sa bawat tao na pinatanggapan nito (It's okay to sign; it won't be used for anything else. Some people say it might be used for the People's Initiative or other activities, but that's not the case. It's just for us, for the COA, to ensure that when we make a payment, it's based on each individual who received it)," he added.
Comelec has finished printing 68,431,865 voter information sheets for the May 12 National and Local Elections which is equivalent to the total number of registered voters in the country.
According to Garcia, the local government unit (LGU) or the barangays cannot distribute the VIS as Comelec personnel will be tasked to do so. He said that the poll body would handle the distribution, even in the most remote areas.
Under Republic Act No. 7904, it is mentioned that at least 30 days before an election, the Comelec must provide all registered voters with a voter information sheet.
The VIS shall include the voter’s name, address, the precinct and the place where he is registered to vote, simplified instructions as to the casting of votes, and the full list of candidates, both national and local.