Bongbong Marcos asks Comelec to probe alleged discrepancies
in results of Overseas Absentee Voting

Vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos, Jr. today asked the Commission on Elections to take a serious look into reported discrepancies between actual votes on the ballot and the printed voters' receipts in the Overseas Absentee Voting.

Marcos said that instead of threatening to file election offense charges against voters who would make petty complaints on supposed discrepancies in the voters' receipt the poll body should conduct a thorough investigation to establish the truth.

In some of these reports, the voter receipt showed no vote for president when in the physical ballot it was actually shaded and voted for, while other reports said the voter receipt showed a candidate's name different from the one actually voted for in the physical ballot.

A video also made the rounds on social media in which an OFW in Hong Kong bared that she actually voted for Marcos but her receipt showed she voted for Honasan.

When the OFW, who is from Ilocos Norte, complained to the election officers, she was told that she could not vote again because the poll body is implementing a one ballot one vote rule.

"Every vote is sacred and one complaint about possible error or manipulation of voting results is one complaint too many. The Comelec should immediately investigate these complaints in accordance with their duty to ensure free and honest elections that would truly reflect the voice of the people," said Marcos.

Marcos said the Comelec must carefully record and look into each one to enable the poll body to immediately address problems if any before the May 9 elections and any doubts on the results.

"This only indicates that our OFWs are interested in participating in the elections and in helping ensuring the sanctity of the ballots. Instead of berating them the Comelec should welcome their concern and willingness to stand up to prevent any possible attempts at frustrating the will of the people," Marcos said.

Marcos said an honest-to-goodness probe of the complaints in the OAV of the Comelec is imperative since not all the political parties and candidates have the resources to look into the allegations of irregularities that surfaced so far since the start of the absentee voting last April 9.

"Unless we can assure our people that no irregularities tainted the elections there would always be a cloud of doubt on the mandate of the elected officials and this would be detrimental to the interest of the entire Filipino nation," warned Marcos.