Poll body, Vote Pilipinas launch profile dashboard for prexy, VP bets

By J.Lo

Comelec  and Vote Pilipinas  officially launched  dashboard that provides information about presidential and vice presidential candidates in a bid to fight disinformation ahead of Eleksyon 2022.

In her opening statement, acting Comelec chairperson Socorro Inting said  profile dashboard is the second phase of poll body's partnership with Vote Pilipinas, a non-profit, non-partisan online and offline information campaign,  aimed at mobilizing Filipinos to register to vote for  2022 national and local elections.

Comelec's partnership with the organization have three "simple and powerful" objectives  to encourage people to register as voters, provide voters accurate and verified information, and to encourage registered voters to vote on May 9, she said.

"With six weeks left before  May 9 elections, it is imperative that our voters will be aware of three key information… where to vote, what are the health and safety protocols and how to fill up and submit the ballot, in addition, we believe that voters will be greatly benefited if they have access to factual and nonpartisan candidate information" Inting said.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez likewise explained importance of  dashboard, especially now that voters have limited access to information due to COVID-19 pandemic.

"As we all know, we are all in the pressure of  pandemic and  pandemic has made it very difficult for  candidates to reach out to the voters, just as how difficult for the voters to access information about  candidates, this is why we felt at the very beginning that it was very necessary that we would have this online facility that would allow  voters to go to a safe location and access all  information that they need in order to see who the choices will be" Jimenez said.

According to Vote Pilipinas founder Ces Rondario, the dashboard will cater to all Filipinos who have registered to vote.

"This is really in support of making sure that we combat also fake news and disinformation because there are so much going on, right there are a lot of information left and right and we just want to make sure that the rest of Filipino voters have access to verified and comprehensive information about those who are running in office," she said.

Also present in the launching was Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Kris Ablan, program director of the government's Freedom of Information program.

FOI is also a partner in the said initiative.

Last February 16, the Comelec and Vote Pilipinas kicked off #BumotoKa campaign, which aims to encourage public to vote smartly in the upcoming polls and to increase  voter turnout by 10%.

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