PPCRV Gets Comelec's Accreditation for 2010 Polls

MANILA, Oct. 29, 2009- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has accredited the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) as its citizen's arm for the May 2010 elections.

In an en banc resolution dated Oct. 26, the Comelec noted that for the past several years, the Catholic Church-backed poll watchdog has consistently worked for credible elections.

"The petitioner's participation during the past electoral exercises and its commitment towards honest, clean, credible and peaceful elections are commendable," the resolution read.

As citizen's arm, the PPCRV will assist the poll body in voters' education on poll automation and poll watching for next year's elections aside from poll watching in each voting precinct.

The poll watchdog will also receive a soft of the computerized voters' list (CVL) as well as the 4th copy of the election returns (ER), both soft and hard copies.

The PPCRV will also be given the chance to test the equipment to be used in the holding of the elections on May 10 before precincts open.

Signing the resolution were Comelec chairman Jose Melo and Commissioners Rene Sarmiento, Nicodemo Ferrer, Elias Yusoph, Gregorio Larrazabal, Lucenito Tagle and Armando Velasco.

PPCRV was also accredited as Comelec's citizens' arm during the 1992, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2007 National and Local Elections.

For the coming elections, the PPCRV eyes to recruit at least 400, 000 volunteers-the average turnout that they have for national polls.

PPCRV was formed in October 1991 as a program of the archdiocese of Manila in preparation for the 1992 elections, the first elections that it performed poll watching duties. (Roy Lagarde)