Department of Foreign Affairs building. (File photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — A Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) official said Tuesday there is “no truth” to allegations that pre-shaded ballots were distributed among Filipino overseas voters.
At an inquiry, DFA Undersecretary Brigido Dulay told the Senate electoral reforms and people’s participation committee: “I would like to emphasize and inform the committee that there is no truth to the allegations circulating on social media that pre-shaded ballots were distributed to overseas voters.”
He, however, mentioned an earlier incident in Singapore where a spoiled ballot was given to a voter due to “human error.”
The Philippine Embassy in Singapore earlier confirmed this incident but said it was an “isolated” one.
“There was an impression that a pre-shaded ballot was given….Insofar as the reports of our posts are concerned, the alleged distribution of pre-shaded ballots is fake news,” Dulay continued.
Asked to further explain the incident in Singapore, Dulay said that two ballots that were stuck together were given to a voter.
The voter then filled up the two ballots.
“Nakita naman po nung isang staff [A staff saw this] and that was considered a spoiled ballot,” Dulay said.
The spoiled ballot, however, was inadvertently mixed with the unused and valid ones “again partly due to human error,” the DFA official explained.
The spoiled ballot was then mistakenly given to the next voter.
“So, for that purpose, there was an explanation already. This incident was recorded in the minutes because these kinds of incidents should always be recorded,” Dulay told the Senate panel.