Provincial Election Supervisor Manuel Advincula yesterday urged the community to be vigilant in securing election materials in Negros Oriental.

Advincula said important election materials like official ballots, election returns, certificates of canvass and statements of votes will soon be arriving at municipal and city treasurers' offices.

He said these materials are very important and could be the target of people who want to cheat and mock the sanctity of the electoral process.

The provincial COMELEC recently received a memorandum from its central office stating that official copies of the election returns should be posted on the wall of the polling places for two days. The purpose for the posting is for the public to see the election results in their respective poling places.

The chairman of the Board of Election Inspectors is in charge of the election returns.

The seven copies of the election returns will be given to the COMELEC, prominent majority party, minority party, accredited citizens arm, placed in the ballot box, to the Municipal/City Board of Canvassers and the Provincial Board of Canvassers.

Meanwhile, Advincula also asked the media to religiously report the truth in a fair and balanced manner.

He said media reports can make or unmake a politician, therefore in order not to create confusion, the reports should be clear and specific.

In fact some of the local news outlets in Dumaguete City have been warned by the COMELEC for violation of the Fair Elections Act. Advincula said each political candidate has a limit on spots in radio and television, and space in newspapers.*

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