By KATHLEEN BALIGAD, JAMAICA MAY DUCO, JEWEL JADE FERNANDO and ESTELA SAYAN
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — To fight possible fraud in the upcoming 2010 Automated National Election, Workers Electoral Watch (We Watch), a project funded by the European Union and formed by labor organizations was launched on February 22, 2010.

It is spearheaded by the Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research (Eiler) and works hand-in-hand with Legal Network for Truthful Elections (Lente). It does not distinguish the political affiliation to any labor organization as long as people want to join the said organization.

It targets 12 major cities and industrial centers with biggest concentration of workers in formal and non-formal sectors such as Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao, Metro Baguio, Subic (Olongapo City), Cavite City, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Bacolod City and Iloilo City.

We Watch holds trainings and seminars in the aforementioned places to educate worker-voters on the automated election system and its vulnerabilities and conduct its own monitoring of fraud through the use of readily available technology available in the Philippines.

“Whether there will be failure or fraud, the more we need monitoring to objectively show to the public that there is massive fraud because of the rush implementation of AES (Automated Election System). If We Watch will succeed, we will extend it for the succeeding elections,” said Joselito Natividad, Lead Convenor of We Watch.

They are still recruiting volunteer rapporteurs and poll watchers to observe irregularities and guard the votes. Anyone who has a report may text the following contact numbers: Smart subscribers – 0929-3361581; Globe – 0915-6701434; and Sun Cellular – 0923-5320142.

“With the fomation of this nonpartisan network of worker-volunteers, we commit ourselves to promoting good governance, human rights and social justice,”concluded Natividad.#nordis.net