An official of the Commission on Elections shared an advice to the public after Twitter users called the poll body’s attention about a reported tarpaulin proclaiming the supposed victory of a presidential aspirant.
A Filipino on Thursday uploaded a picture of the alleged tarpaulin which features the phrases “Panalo na si BBM” and “Formality na lang ang election sa Mayo.”
BBM is the acronym of presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
“As @COMELEC‘s @jabjimenez would always say, walang batas sa ganitong pambabastos sa ating electoral system,” the uploader said on Twitter, tagging the commission’s spokesperson.
“Don’t take partisan propaganda too seriously. Everyone claims victory to rally their supporters. Lahat naman nagsasabing panalo na sila — basta lang ‘wag madaya, ‘di ba?” Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez responded in a separate tweet.
“Lahat nagsasabi pandaraya lang ang tatalo sa kanila, but in the end, it’s actual votes that count — not bravado,” he added.
Don’t take partisan propaganda too seriously. Everyone claims victory to rally their supporters. Lahat naman nagsasabing panalo na sila – basta lang wag madaya, diba? lahat nagsasabi pandaraya lang ang tatalo sa kanila, but in the end, it’s actual votes that count – not bravado.
— James Jimenez (@jabjimenez) December 10, 2021
Some Filipino who reposted the tweet featuring the tarpaulin shared some of their speculations behind the written text.
“Worst-case scenario: May dayaan na palang nagaganap kaya ganun na lang ang paskin ng tarp,” a Twitter user claimed.
“Kasi dadayain? @COMELEC paki-disqualify nga po at nang hindi kayo bastusin. Bahagi ng kalooban ng bayan ang mga makatuwirang batas,” another online user said.
Filipinos will be voting for its new set of leaders on May 9, 2022. They will be choosing the highest official of the country who will lead the pandemic-stricken nation.
Participating in the process of selecting public officials who will run localities and the country itself is a form of reinforcing democracy in a society, according to Jimenez.
“It is significant in that simply exercising your right of suffrage connects you to the great democratic tradition of individuals taking part in their own governance,” he said in an opinion column last June.
“It is meaningful in the sense that it allows you to honor the memory of those who sacrificed much, even their very lives, so that Filipinos could enjoy the right of self-determination,” Jimenez added.
“By voting, you get the opportunity to put a government in place that will care for you, provide you opportunities for prosperity and happiness, and protect you the way you want. Voting does this because the candidates you vote for act as your representatives,” he further said before.
