Panayam kay PPCRV National Coordinator Dr. Arwin Serrano
Panayam kay PPCRV National Coordinator Dr. Arwin Serrano
Transcript
00:00 We have an update on the ongoing barangay and youth elections. We have Dr. Arwin Serrano, director for voters education and parish pastoral council for responsible voting or PPCRV.
00:13 Dr. Serrano, good afternoon and welcome to the new Philippines.
00:18 Yes, good afternoon. I'm happy to be a guest on your program. But I want to correct that I'm not the director for voters education and volunteers mobilization.
00:36 That was my position during the May 9, 2022 presidential elections. My official designation is national coordinator.
00:49 Okay. Dr. Serrano, as a citizen's arm of the Commonwealth in the history of the country, what is your assessment so far on the ongoing barangay and youth elections this year?
01:01 Well, generally peaceful and it seems that our barangay and SK candidates are behaving.
01:13 There are some reported incidents of those who are attempting to campaign by distribution of sample ballots and leaflets bearing the name of candidates.
01:32 It's prohibited. It's a form of campaign materials. There are some that are still happening. It's a perennial problem that they cannot see their names on the voter's ID.
01:48 But generally, it's good so far, since we started accepting voters until this time.
02:01 In the past year, how many volunteers of PPCRV are deployed nationwide to monitor the barangay and SK elections?
02:14 Well at least 250,000 volunteers nationwide.
02:21 Okay. Dr. Serrano, are all areas and precincts have PPCRV volunteers, considering that there are 250,000, as you mentioned earlier, volunteers?
02:33 Not 100 percent because there are last-minute problems with our local coordinators.
02:47 But it's just a few. There are more. Our PPCRV volunteers are present.
03:04 Sir what are the challenges of PPCRV from the past election this year?
03:12 Well, our challenge in some areas is, because our volunteers want to help our vulnerable sector voters,
03:31 there were problems in terms of volunteer recruitment. Of course, those situations will be challenging.
03:51 Then, we also want to help those who have no name or are confused voters because they were transferred to a voting center because of reclustering
04:13 and the establishment of new voting centers.
04:20 That's one of the challenges of our volunteers in those areas.
04:36 Okay. Dr. Serrano, regarding this election, what is the top priority of the PPCRV that you are monitoring?
04:43 Well, our top priority, generally speaking, is to have a good, reliable and acceptable election.
04:53 But if you are referring to our election-related violence or the violence that happened during the past weeks and days,
05:20 and even this morning, I hope this will not happen again.
05:25 That's why we are inviting to the prayer not only the elections in their areas, but also the elections in the Philippines,
05:41 especially the categories in the red and orange category.
05:48 If possible, we should have high turnout of voters after we know at the end of the voting time later this afternoon.
06:14 Okay. Do you still receive election-related reports?
06:21 Are there any reports that you want to share? If so, where are they?
06:29 Earlier, they were in the BARM area. But this has not been validated, that they were possibly voted in the last election.
06:54 So far, we can say that there were big improvements in the initiatives of the Comelec, if I may mention a few,
07:15 like early voting. I hope next time around, not only in Naga and Muntinlumpa, but early voting will be held.
07:24 Also, our 11 areas for mall voting, they wanted experience. This is the first time. Hopefully, next time around,
07:37 we can add 11 malls, coming from the two big malls that are willing to hold or conduct mall voting in their areas.
07:51 We also have a pilot for the automated elections in two barangays, in Dasma and Cavite, and Paso Tamo, Queso City.
08:05 Hopefully, next time around, there will be more areas that will conduct BSKU. That's why we have half of them.
08:16 We also have a system for the allowed voting of persons deprived of liberty, PDL voters. So far, in monitoring,
08:38 the conduct of their voting has been good. In fact, many of them have already voted and are ready to bring it to their respective mother precincts
09:04 to be counted later after 3 p.m. cutoff time.
09:12 It is also good if we have other improvements. For example, is it possible to have local absentee voting for a manual election?
09:32 This was mentioned by the first participants. I think it is possible and we can consider a comelec.
09:45 We can also formalize our plan to have, aside from early voting, local absentee voting, especially in our law enforcement agencies.
10:01 Before we end, a message and a reminder to all the viewers of our program.
10:08 First of all, to our candidates, I hope we will continue to behave and we will not be toward incidents that will add to the incidents of chaos.
10:30 Second, I hope they will accept the outcome or result of being elected to their barangay and accept the decision of our voters.
10:45 I hope if they are elected as winners, they will be better in their service to their barangay.
10:59 For our voters, if you have not yet voted, if possible, after lunch, we will vote to be active in our barangay.
11:22 The same goes to our youths who participate as registered voters in their selection of SPA officials.
11:33 To our voters who have already voted, we will continue to pray for a good barangay.
11:49 I hope there will be no additional incidents that will add to the chaos until we finish later.
12:04 Again, thank you for your vote. Thank you for inviting me to your election.
12:13 We will continue to pray and continue to fight.
12:19 so that I can fulfill my duty.
12:22 [MUSIC PLAYING]