General Instructions for the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs)

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ARTICLE II

WATCHERS

SEC. 15.  Official watchers of candidates, political parties and other groups. – Each candidate and registered political party or coalition of political parties duly registered with the Commission and fielding candidates in the election, as well as duly accredited citizen’s arms may appoint two watchers, to serve alternately, in every polling place.  However, candidates for Senator, candidates for Member, Sangguniang Panlalawigan or Sangguniang Panlungsod, or Sangguniang Bayan, belonging to the same ticket or slate, shall collectively be entitled to one watcher.

Duly accredited citizens arms of the Commission shall be entitled to appoint a watcher in every polling place.  Other civil, professional, business, service, youth, and any other similar organizations, with prior authority of the Commission, shall be entitled collectively to appoint one watcher in every polling place.

If, because of limited space, all watchers cannot be accommodated in the polling place, preference shall be given to the watchers of the dominant majority and dominant minority parties as determined by the Commission and the watcher of the citizen’s arm, with the latter being given preferential position closest to the BEI.  In case there are two or more citizen’s arm, preference shall be given to the one authorized by the Commission to conduct an unofficial count.

SEC. 16.  Qualification of watchers. – No person shall be appointed watcher unless he:

a)     Is a registered voter of the city or municipality comprising the precinct where he is assigned;

b)    Is of good reputation;

c)    Has not been convicted by final judgment of any election offense or of any other crime;

d)    Knows how to read and write Pilipino, English or of the prevailing local dialect; and

e)    Is not related within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity to the chairman or to any other member of the BEI in the polling place where he seeks appointment as watcher.

SEC. 17.  Rights and duties of watchers. – Upon entering the polling place, the watchers shall deliver to the chairman their appointments as watchers, and their names shall forthwith be recorded in the Minutes with a notation under their signatures that they are not disqualified to serve as such under the immediately preceding Section.  The appointments of the watchers shall bear the signature of the candidate or duly authorized representative of the party, organization or coalition that appointed them.  For this purpose, at least fifteen (15) days before election day, independent candidates, registered parties, organizations, or coalitions authorized by the Commission to appoint watchers shall provide the Election Officers concerned with the names and signatures of their representatives authorized to appoint watchers in the city or municipality.

The watchers shall have the right to:

a)    Witness and inform themselves of the proceedings of the BEI;

b)    Take note of what they may see or hear;

c)    Take photographs of the proceedings and incidents, if any, during the voting, counting of votes, as well as of the generated election returns and of the ballot boxes;

d)    File a protest against any irregularity or violation of law which they believe may have been committed by the BEI or by any of its members or by any person;

e)    Obtain from the BEI a certificate as to the filing of such protest and the resolution thereof; and

Watchers shall not speak to any member of the BEI, or to any voter or among themselves, in such a manner as would disturb the proceedings of the BEI.

The watchers representing the dominant majority and dominant minority parties fielding candidates and the watcher of the citizen’s arm shall, if available, affix their signatures and thumbmarks in the election returns.

ARTICLE III

ELECTION FORMS AND SUPPLIES

SEC. 18.  Election forms, documents and supplies. – Except when authorized to do so earlier by the Commission, the BEI shall get the forms, documents and supplies early in the morning of election day.  The City/Municipal Treasurer shall distribute the following forms, documents and supplies per precinct/clustered precincts.

A.   FROM THE CITY/MUNICIPAL TREASURER

CEF No.	DESCRIPTION	RATE OF DISTRIBUTION
ELECTION FORMS
A3	Poster Indicating the Clustered Precincts’ Numbers	1	Piece
A6	Official Ballots	1	pc. per voter
A11	Minutes of Voting and Counting of Votes	1	Set of 2 copies
A12	Paper Seal	75	pieces
A14	Certificate of Receipt of Official Ballots, Other Forms and Supplies by BEI	3	piece
A27	Official Receipt of Election Returns	60	pieces
ENVELOPES FOR VOTING AND COUNTING
A15	For rejected ballots, half torn unused official ballots and other half torn unused official ballots	3	pieces
A16	For scanned/counted official ballots (expandable)	2	pieces per precinct
A17	For Election Returns	30	pieces
OTHER ENVELOPES
A18	For Minutes of Voting and Counting of Votes	1	set of 2 pieces
A18-A	For Back-up Memory Card, Initialization Report, Audit Log, and Precinct Statistical Report	5	pieces
A19	For Key of Ballot Box	3	pieces
OTHER FORMS
A30/A31	Temporary Appointment of Chairman/Poll Clerk/Third Member/Support Staff	10	pieces
A35	Certificate of Challenge or Protest and Decision of the BEI	10	pieces
A39	Oath of Voter Challenge for Illegal Acts	10	pieces
A40	Oath of Identification of Challenged Voter	10	pieces
SUPPLIES
	Seal for back-up memory card envelope	1	piece
	Bond Paper (long)	30	pieces
	Ballot Secrecy Folder	20	pieces
	Thumbprint Taker	2	pcs. per precinct in a cluster
	Serially Number Fixed Length Seal for back-up memory card	1	piece
	Indelible Stain Ink	2	bottles per precinct in a cluster
	Instruction to Voters	1	pc. per precinct in a cluster
	Ballot Box	1	piece
	Corrugated Box for Official Ballots	1	piece
	PCOS box plastic (garbage bag)	1	piece
	Marking pens	1 or 2	Box/es
	Ballpen	6	pieces

B.   FROM THE ELECTION OFFICER

a.    Book of Voters;

b.    One (1) copy of the Precinct Computerized Voters List (PCVL) with supplemental PCVL, if any, for posting outside the precinct;

c.    Two (2) copies of Election Day Computerized Voters List (EDCVL) (List of Voters with Voting Record) with supplemental EDCVL, if any,; and

d.    Copies of Appointment and Oath of Office of the BEI and Support Staff (A30/A31).

The Book of Voters should be duly sealed.  The PCVL and EDCVL should all be duly certified by the Election Registration Board.

The poll clerk, third member and the support staff, if any, shall have custody of the Book of Voters and one (1) copy of the EDCVL.

The BEI shall carefully check the different election forms, documents and supplies and the quantity actually received.  Thereafter, place the official ballots in a corrugated box provided by the Commission.  The BEI shall sign a Certificate of Receipt (A14) in three copies, the original of which shall be delivered to the City/Municipal Treasurer, who shall transmit the same to the ERSD, Comelec, Manila, immediately after Election Day.

SEC. 19.  Forms to be reproduced when needed. – The following forms may be reproduced when needed:

a)    Temporary Appointment of Chairman/Poll Clerk/Member (Annex “A”);

b)    Certificate of Challenge or Protest and Decision of the BEI (Annex “B”);

c)    Oath of Voter Challenged for Illegal Acts (ANNEX “C”); and

d)    Oath To Identify A Challenged Voter (ANNEX “D”).

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