Poll watchdogs raring, ready

As the 2025 midterm elections get going today, some individuals who have prepared long and hard for exercise — not as candidates but as guardians of ballots — are raring to go.

They are the volunteers of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) and the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) — two nonpartisan organizations with the avowed goal of upholding honest, orderly and peaceful elections.

Among those who will take on the role of election watchdog is Bro. Leo Montales, the PPCRV-NAMFREL parish coordinator at Our Lady of Salvation Parish in Daraga, Albay.

Now in his third year of volunteering for elections, Montales sees his role as a simple way of serving his parish, the people and the Church.

As part of their pre-election efforts, Montales and his team conducted orientations for their volunteers, providing voter education.

“Our parish priest is the overall in charge. I’m the second one. I have to check our volunteers to make sure everything is okay, I have to communicate with the PPCRV, I have to make reports,” he added.

However, over the years, one of the major challenges Montales noted is the scarcity of volunteers, citing that some youth and adults prefer to work as candidates’ poll watchers.

“Because they’re being paid. As we all know, we don’t get any compensation as PPCRV-NAMFREL volunteers. That’s one of the challenges, but God provides; God always helps us.”

According to Montales, they have a total of 55 volunteers who will serve 16 polling places. He expressed concern for the safety of volunteers, especially in areas deemed risky during election day.

Preparations are equally hectic in other provinces.

In Batangas, 25-year-old PPCRV volunteer Justine has been organizing various voter education orientations across vicariates and reminding people of their rights and responsibilities as voters.

“We keep reminding them that their vote is sacred,” Justine emphasized.

Justine began volunteering in 2022 in the hopes of safeguarding the first elections following the Covid-19 pandemic.

No campaigning

In today’s polls, Justine and his fellow volunteers will be stationed at voting precincts, helping voters locate their assigned stations and ensure that no one engages in prohibited activities, such as distributing campaign materials.

But even with good intentions, their role comes with its share of resistance. Among the challenges they face is when they have to call people out and receive unpleasant and disrespectful responses in return.

“This is mainly because they see us simply as young people, but even so, we choose to ignore what they say and continue reminding them,” he said.

Justine hopes voters will closely examine the platforms of the candidates of their choice, instead of immediately falling for giveaways and gimmicks, and that the overall process will be free from bias.

Montales echoed the same sentiments, hoping only for the truth to prevail.

“I just really hope that we all become truthful people: people who fear God, people who will not do evil, or evil things.”