Namfrel pulls out of May polls for first time as Comelec refuses access to data
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Fri, 03 May 2019 06:26:48 +0000
FOR the first time, the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) rejected its Commission on Elections (Comelec) accreditation to be an official citizens’ arm for the May 13 elections after the poll body refused to give the watchdog access to its data.
“Petitioner [Namfrel] respectfully declines its accreditation as citizens’ arm of the [Comelec] as embodied in [its] resolution dated March 29, 2019,” Namfrel said in its manifestation released on Friday.
Namfrel said the Comelec access would enable it to operate its Open Election Data project, a website containing information on candidates, election return tabulation, list of voters, transparency and media servers.
“Why would they refuse to give us access? We are not the enemy. If they refuse to give us that, then better not give us the accreditation after all,” former Comelec commissioner and now Namfrel National Chairman Augusto Lagman said in a press conference. NEIL JAYSON N. SERVALLOS
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