OBJECTIVES

The general objective of BANTAY ELEKSYON 2007 is to contribute to the conduct of a free and fair 2007 elections through election monitoring based on internationally-accepted electoral standards.
The specific objectives are the following:

1. To monitor the actual process of the 2007 elections from start to finish—from electoral preparations to proclamation of candidates;
2. To monitor the various components of the electoral process, especially the conduct of election administration;
3. To monitor the most critical areas for electoral contests, especially those considered critical for electoral contests in the congressional elections; and
4. To regularly report to the public on the monitoring results and especially just after the elections and at the end of the whole electoral process.

The Need for Monitoring the 2007 Elections

The 2007 elections, especially the congressional elections, have the potential for intense contestation with both sides exerting the maximum effort to “win.” “Winning” for the opposition means getting at least one-third of the seats in the House of Representatives and two-thirds of the seats in the Senate. The pro-Arroyo administration, on the other hand, targets at least two-thirds and one-third of the seats in the House of Representatives and in the Senate, respectively.

This situation is aggravated by the fact of the low credibility of the current Commission on Elections (Comelec) due to the unresolved question regarding the “Garcillano tapes.” The institution itself suffered a negative satisfactory rating in most surveys with the 2004 election commissioners having even lower ratings.

The possibility exists for election fraud on a massive scale and for election violence that is higher than normal. At least eight regions stand high on the list as possible areas for intense attention by both sides with regards to congressional elections.

The 2007 elections therefore demand closer scrutiny and guarding by citizen monitors. In fact, there are now many initiatives, aside from the traditional citizen monitoring by the National Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV). From the national level to local levels, these initiatives are being put in place precisely to help in ensuring the credibility of the entire process.