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"It is better to light a candle, than to
curse the darkness"
Namfrel is the pioneer in election monitoring. It started
with the establishment of the operations registration committee in 1957. In the
60’s and early 70’s, the Citizens National Electoral Assembly (CNEA) was
organized by then Comelec chairman Jaime Ferrer with bishop Mariano Gaviola as
chairman together with Jose Concepcion, Jr. of Namfrel and Charito Planas as
secretary general.
Namfrel’s commitment to clean elections was best shown during the 1986 snap
presidential elections with over 500,000 volunteers who offered their time,
energy and even their lives, to preserve the sanctity of the ballot.
Since 1984, namfrel has been accredited by the Comelec to conduct the
Operation Quick Count (OQC). Namfrel
was accredited in 21 electoral exercises.
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Mending The Flag
We liken the country, as it goes
through the triennial elections, to our dear flag mounted on a pole
exposed to rain, lashed out by strong winds and burned under the
intense heat of the tropical sun. The elements beat on a tender
fabric.
Every elections the tender fabric of
Philippine society, politics, culture, economy, religion, peace and
order, its youth, its poor, its women and men, its children, its
structures and institutions, its pride – most importantly its
future, are subjected to the “elements.” The elements of intense
political rivalry and political divide, the tense and uncertain
situations and a host of other not-so-desirable events, seem as if
tests that tender fabric to its limits.
The election environment sizzles for
almost two weeks starting at the close of the campaign period and
until the counting and canvassing of the votes. It cools down when
the results seem irreversible – and that “fabric” would have taken
quite a beating.
The colors fade, the stitches loosen
– the damage has been done. But the Filipino fabric is a resilient
one. Its inherent capacity to bear the beating of the elements and
the humor woven into with each thread keeps it from tearing apart.
Post elections, it is once again time
to mend the flag. |
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Timeline
|
Month/Date |
Event |
| July
1998 |
Namfrel leads
10-member Philippine delegation of observers to the
parliamentary elections in Cambodia |
| October
1998 |
IDEA Conference in
Copenhagen, Denmark |
Jan 1999
|
Namfrel sponsors the
Manila Dialogue, participated by representatives of
Indonesian EMOs |
| May 1999 |
Namfrel observed the
conduct of the Special Registration in the Autonomous
Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) |
| June
1999 |
Namfrel leads
100-member Philippine delegation of observers to the
Indonesian Elections |
| February
2000 |
Civil society meets
with Comelec to demand a plan to implement RA 8436 |
|
April-May 2000 |
Namfrel conducts OQC
for the mayoral recall elections in Pasay city, Mercedes
(Camarines Sur) and Lucena city |
July-September 2000
|
Namfrel conducts
briefings before various sectoral organizations on
election automation |
August
-September 2000
|
Namfrel spearheads
the signing of the Manifesto urging the Commission on
Elections to implement nationwide automation for the
2001 elections |
July
2000- Feb 2001
|
Namfrel meets with
provincial chapters to prepare of the elections and to
orient chapters on election automation |
September 2000
|
Namfrel together with
IT and business groups submitted the “Recommendations to
the Comelec on the implementation of RA 8436 for the May
14, 2001 elections” |
October
2000
|
Namfrel files
petition for accreditation to conduct Operation Quick
Count (OQC) for the 2001 elections before the Comelec |
August
2000
|
Philippine Computer
Society designates Namfrel as representative of the
private sector in the Advisory Council (for RA 8436) of
the Comelec |
October
2000
|
The Advisory Council
(private sector representatives) and Namfrel submitted
their comments/concerns on the Invitation for Bids for
the ACCORS project |
December
2000
|
Namfrel delivered a
paper entitled “Comelec can still automate the May 14,
2001 polls up to 80% of the precincts in the country”
before the House committee on Suffrage and Electoral
Reforms during its public hearing on amendments to RA
8436. |
| July
2001 |
Namfrel OQC tallies
X% of total precincts for senatorial posts and X% of
precincts for the party-list elections |
|
|
Month/Date |
Event |
|
1984 |
Election Of Members
Of The Batasan Pambansa |
|
1986 |
Snap Presidential
Election |
|
1987 |
National Plebiscite
On The 1987 Constitution |
|
1988 |
National Elections
For Local Positions |
|
1988 |
Congressional
Elections |
|
1990 |
Plebiscite On The
Organic Act Of The Autonomous Region In Muslim Mindanao
(Armm) |
|
1990 |
Plebiscite On The
Organic Act Of The Cordillera Autonomous Region |
|
1990 |
First Regular
Elections Of The Armm |
|
1992, With The Media
Citizens’ Quick Count |
General Synchronized
Elections For National And Local Positions |
|
1995 |
General Elections For
Senatorial And Local Positions |
|
1995 |
General Registration
In The Armm |
|
1996 |
Legislative Assembly
Elections In The Armm |
|
1996 |
Special Elections In
Parang, Province Of Sulu |
|
1997 |
General Registration
Of Voters |
|
1997 |
Recall Elections In
Kalookan City |
|
1998 |
General Elections For
National And Local Positions |
|
1999 |
General Registration
In The Armm |
|
2000 |
Recall Elections In
Pasay City |
|
2000 |
Recall Elections In
Mercedes, Camarines Norte |
|
2000 |
Recall Elections In
Lucena City, Quezon |
|
May 14, 2001 |
National And Local
Elections |
|
August 14, 2001 |
Expanded Armm
Plebiscite |
|
November 26, 2001 |
Armm Legislative
Assembly Elections |
|
May 10, 2004 |
National Elections |
|
May 14, 2007 |
Midterm Elections |
|
May 10, 2010 |
National Elections |
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