CEBU CITY -- An official of the Commission on Elections has alerted voters and election personnel to be on guard for election cheating using high-tech gadgets like mobile phones equipped with cameras.

Lionel Castillano, legal officer of the Comelec in Central Visayas, said voters who will sell their votes could use camera-equipped cell phones in taking pictures or video clips of the filled-up ballot and showing these as proof of whom they voted for to the vote-buyer. But Castillano said they cannot stop any voter from bringing a cell phone when he or she votes on May 14.

"There is no law or rule that prohibits the bringing of cell phones inside the polling precincts," Castillano told around 30 mostly Cebu-based journalists who attended a training-workshop on election reporting conducted by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines and the International Federation for Election Systems last Saturday.

Castillano said members of the Board of Election Inspectors can only confront a voter on the use of cell phones when it is actually used to violate election rules and law.

"We can only appeal but cannot force the voters not to use or bring them," said Castillano. He said the privacy of voters should also be safeguarded while the voter is filling-up the ballot and so it would be improper for election officials to watch over the voter closely while he/she is voting.

Section 195 of Article XVII of the Omnibus Election Code states that: "It shall be unlawful to prepare the ballot outside the voting booth, or to exhibit its contents to any person, or to erase any printing from the ballot, or to intentionally tear or deface the same or put thereon any distinguishing mark. It shall likewise be unlawful to use carbon paper, paraffin paper, or other means for making a copy of the contents of the ballot or make use of any other means to identify the vote of the voter."

While the traditional forms of cheating and vote-buying are still being practiced, the advent of high-tech gadgets has changed these practices.

The common forms of fraud during voting include assuming the identity of another voter and voting in his/her name and accompanying a voter to the voting booth to influence a voter in casting his vote for a particular candidate, according to a list provided by the NUJP and IFES

Before "Dagdag-Bawas" (vote padding and shaving), there was "Lanzadera" and the use of carbon paper.

"(Lanzadera) is done by a voter who first secures a blank ballot then gets his assigned ballot. The voter then puts in the ballot box his fake or illegally procured ballot and then passes his genuine ballot to another captive voter who fills it up outside the polling room with the names of the candidates of his choice. The next voter gets into the polling place with the filled ballot and gets the ballot assigned to him but drops into the ballot box the ballot previously filled up. (The voter) then passes to the next voter his own ballot," according to the handout.

Cheating was also done with the use of carbon paper, paraffin or duplicating device to disclose the content of the ballot to the "buyer," the "intimidator" or the "leader".

Election fraud was among the main issues and concerns raised by the journalists and journalism students from Cebu, Bohol, Antique and Capiz who attended the training.

The other issues include threats and physical danger to journalist during the coverage of the elections and bribery of journalists by candidates.

The journalists said logistical support from their media organizations is also critical in helping ensure safe, independent and adequate reporting of the elections. They pointed out that media organizations should provide allowances for food, communication and transportation.

The training was the 13th conducted by the NUJP all over the country since February.

Rowena Carranza-Paraan, NUJP Secretary-General, said the training included a session on safe election coverage because 2004, an election year, was also the year that registered the highest number of slain journalists.*NPB

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