The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has declared a viral Facebook post claiming that a voter’s receipt showed a different political party from what was actually voted a malicious and baseless falsehood.
COMELEC Commissioner Rey Bulay warned that those who spread false information that undermines the integrity of the elections face charges under Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code.
Bulay confirmed the COMELEC’s position in a live studio interview on DZRH News program The Situation Report on September 14.
The post, attributed to a Facebook user named Boss Mila and shared from an account identified as Daddy DM, showed a photograph of a voter receipt and claimed that a vote for the United Bangsamoro Justice Party was recorded as a vote for BGC in Maguindanao del Sur.
COMELEC’s Education and Information Department and Cyber Security Monitoring Center immediately investigated and denied the claim, saying the automated counting machine cannot manipulate ballot results.
“Hindi kayang manipulahin ng automated counting machine ang resulta ng balota, at kung ano lamang ang shinade na bilog sa balota ng botante, ‘yun lamang ang babasahin at ire-record sa voter receipt,” DZRH News correspondent Tina Nolasco quoted the commission as saying during her report on The Situation Report.
Bulay said the post is the first case handled under COMELEC’s new fake news alert system, which the commission established to immediately issue public denials through media whenever false election information is detected on social media.
“Bago naming fake news alert. Fake news alert. Basta may information na fake na na-determine, ilabas kaagad sa media. Sinabi na ng Comelec na fake news ‘yan. Ang gawa namin sa social media, bago ito,” Bulay said.
