Jamayka Rhose Pascual

A viral video, garnering over 10 million views, showing poll watchers shading ballots for elderly voters in Abra sparks public outcry over alleged election violations. 

Photo Courtesy of Facebook/Joy Bernos.

The footage, posted on Facebook by Vice Governor Joy Bernos on May 12, revealed the violation as she confronted the chairman of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) in the precinct. 

In the video, Bernos requests that the violations be noted in the minutes, citing the poll watchers’ failure to use ballot secrecy folders and their unauthorized role in shading ballots. 

Despite her intervention, the acts reportedly continued, as watchers were seen assisting two elderly voters even after the issue had been raised. 

Bernos posted the video on social media, stating that the poll watchers were bypassing legal protocols on voter assistance. 

Under the Commission on Elections (Comelec)'s guidelines, only relatives within the fourth degree of consanguinity of members of the same household should be allowed to assist persons with disabilities (PWD) and senior citizens. 

These assistors must also sign a formal document under oath, commit to following the voter’s instructions strictly, and are limited to helping only three voters, unless they are BEI members. 

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia then clarified that poll watchers are not allowed to assist senior citizens or PWDs in voting.

RA No. 10366, known as the act authorizing the Comelec to designate precincts assigned to accessible polling places exclusively for PWDs and senior citizens, which reinforces this by penalizing unauthorized ballot assistance and any breach of voting secrecy. 

Any breach of these provisions constitutes an election offense punishable under the Omnibus Election Code Section 262. 

The incident comes amid an intense local political race, with Bernos seeking re-election and her son Joaquin Enrico Bernos vying for the gubernatorial seat against former Governor Eustaquio Bersamin and his niece Anne Bersamin. 

Bernos has also raised concerns over other incidents in Abra, including reports of alleged intimidation, further calling into question the integrity of the province’s electoral process.