Experience and expertise: Why a former poll watcher-turned-politician returned to election observing

A FORMER poll watcher-turned-Barangay captain has returned to the long, grueling task of observing election-day actions for national and local polls this year. 

Amando Garcia III, 65, is the former Barangay chairperson of Brgy. 338 in Santa Cruz, Manila, whose term ended in 2013. 

He was a poll watcher during the 1998 Presidential Elections, serving for former president Joseph “Erap” Estrada. 

After serving as barangay captain for two consecutive terms, he returned to poll watching this year, serving as poll observer for Manila Third District Rep. Joel Chua, who ran for reelection. 

“Kasi may mga watchers na tatanga-tanga, nalulusutan,” he said.  

“May experience ako n’un, mayroong mga teacher na hindi natin masabi kung kanino nakapanig,” he recalled. “Tama ‘yung [bilang] sa blackboard, pagdating doon sa papel, nadadagdagan. So, kailangan maingat ‘yung mga watcher ng bawat kandidato.” 

According to Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), polling precinct poll watchers such as Amando Garcia III is responsible for monitoring, documenting, and protesting any irregularities and incidents that will happen inside their designated polling place. 

He remembered how voters and watchers received small envelopes with “palaman,” during the election day. 

In an interview with DWPM’s Teleradyo, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson George Erwin Garcia said that as of Sunday, May 11, more than 600 incidents of vote-buying have been reported. It is less compared with 1,226 cases reported from the previous national and local elections in 2022. 

However, Garcia said the current numbers are still expected to increase, especially the day before and during the election. 

For Garcia III, the role of poll watchers is to be vigilant against “anomalies" in the precincts, such as inaccurate tallies and flying voters. 

“Pagbukas ng presinto kailangan nandun ka na [sa voting precincts],” he said. So, hanggang sa matapos [yung bilangan].”  

The veteran poll watcher said that in voting and counting conflicts, there are election officials who would enter the precincts to analyze the situation and help pacify poll watchers of opposing candidates to prevent violence from taking over.  

Meanwhile, Hannz Ivan Gabi, 22, the school coordinator of PPCRV at Francisco Balagtas Elementary School in Santa Cruz, said there were technical problems encountered during the machine’s counting of ballots, and it took time for technicians to fix them. 

The same school where Garcia III will perform his watching duties has 9,282 voters as per PPCRV. 

The returning watcher witnessed more than technical problems during his time.  

“Tatlong presinto kami, ‘yung dalawang presinto namatay ‘yung kuryente. Tapos, isa lang ang gumanang machine,” he said. “So paano ang gagawin mo? Paano yung iba? Nagrereklamo hindi sila nakaboto.” 

While he did not receive any threats, powerful candidates gave him a sense of danger as a poll watcher.  

“[Kapag gano’n] ako na ang gumagawa sa sarili ko para makaiwas sa mga yan,” he said.  

According to Garcia III, their only compensation before is the provision of food from their candidates for the entire day and a one-time payment of one thousand pesos.  

Now, with a car to drive to the voting center, Amando Garcia III has one answer when asked about the significance of his duty:  

“Malaking bagay dahil nakikita mo yung mga mandaraya.”  - S. Sañajan