Used by some elections lawyers and experts. Please check comelec website for more updates. Some points might be revised or amended, but this is the best format to train your paralegal and watchers. Used for last elections that made my several principals elected.

1. By: James Pagasa Latiph
(Atty. Jamal Latiph Hadjiusman, MCM, APLP Fellow)
Email: jamallawfirm777@gmail.com
Halalan Victory
Complete Guide
Election Training for Paralegals and Watchers

2. Coverage:
✓ General Instructions
✓ Rights and Duties of a Watcher
✓ Operations of VCM
✓ Things to do
✓ Test

3. ▪ Member, COMELEC Automation Elections 2010, 2013 & 2016
▪ Member, COMELEC BAC 2010, 2013 & 2016
▪ Member, Smartmatic-COMELEC Field Trainor
▪ Legal Officer, COMELEC Main Office 2009 to 2015
▪ Master Degree on Communications Management, England
▪ Fellowship on Asia Pacific Leadership Program, USA
▪ Participant, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Tokyo
▪ Bachelor Degree, UP Diliman, Quezon City
Atty. Jamal Latiph Hadjiusman

4. Remember:
Sa E-day, nasa inyong
kamay ang lahat ng pagod
at Hirap ng ginawa ng
campaign team.

5. What is your mission?

6. To protect the votes of your
principal
to ensure his victory

7. Knowing the Terrain
•Friendly
•Unfriendly or Hostile
•Neutral

8. Solid Knowledge:
-General Instructions
-Operations of the VCM

9. ➢Watcher
➢Spotter

10. Qualifications:
- Registered Voter (City or Municipality)
- Good Moral Character
- No Conviction
- Able to read and write
- Not Related with the BEI

11. Rights and Duties
1. Stay in the space reserved
2. Witness the proceeding
3. Take note (see and hear)
4. Photograph/Video

12. Rights and Duties
5. File Protest against any irregularity
6. No unnecessary talks
7. Assist illiterate or PWD (3x)
8. Receive ER (Signature and Thumbmark)

13. Test

14. Before E-Day
- Area of Assignment
- ID and Watcher Appointment
- Trained on Rights and Duties
- Present and Witness FTS

15. Final Testing and Sealing (FTS)
- May 2 to 6 (May 5)
- Is the VCM working and proper?
- Mini-Elections; 10 voters
- BEI to check election materials
- No Transmission

16. Election Day
- 6:00 AM to 5 PM
- Escort from Municipal to
Polling Center
- Present Watcher Appointment
- Know other watchers

17. Rules on Voting
-Order of Arrival
-No talk and mingling
-No Firearms
-No Crowding
-Ballot Box remains locked

18. Bawal sa Loob
-AFP, PNP and CAFGU
-Barangay Officials and Tanod
PERO
- BEI (majority votes) may allows
PNP for security only

19. Allowed inside
- BEI and Support Staff
- Watchers
- COMELEC and Technical Staff
- Voters Casting their votes
- Authorized by COMELEC (i.e. Media)

20. BAWAL GAWIN SA LOOB
-Makipagusap sa voters
-Mag-selfie sa balota
-Pasaway

21. Patakaran sa Pag-asis
-Bawal mag-asis sa botante
EXCEPT:
- Nakasulat sa EDCVL
- Kamaganak or may tiwala (3x)
- BEI (unli)

22. EXPRESS LANE
-May kapansanan
-Buntis
-Senior Citizen

23. Illegal Voters v.s. Illegal
Acts
-Illegal voters refers to
identity of the voters
-Illegal acts refers to the

24. Illegal Voters:
-Not registered voters
-Using other name
-Disqualified (i.e minor)
-Multiple voters
Challenge:
-BEI identify signature, Record in
Minutes

25. Illegal Acts:
-Received gift or money
-Nagpustahan
-Promise
May Challenge:
- Under oath. If refuse, disallow

26. PCVL
-list f voters; posted outside
EDVCL
- list of voters with photograph
and specimen of signature;
- Prevails over PCVL; inside

27. BEI Chairman
- Sign the ballot (non-signing not invalidate)
- Issue Official Ballot
- Signature
Poll Clerk
- Monitor Election materials
- Monitor if the ballots successful accepted
- Cut the Receipt

28. Unused Ballots:
-Record
-Punitin
-Envelope

30. Voting &
the VCM

31. INSERTED BALLOT
“Processing…/Pakihintay…
Kasalukuyan Pinoproseso”

32. A SECOND TO REVIEW.
After 1 Second,
the VCM will automatically cast the ballot.

33. “YOUR VOTE HAS BEEN CASTED/
ANG INYONG BOTO AY NAISAMA NA”

34. Print ng Resibo
Listahan ng lahat ng ibinoto.
Iligay sa box. Bawal ilabas or pikturan

35. Paalalasa Resibo:
-After screen view, the VMC will Automatically
print the receipt
-Poll Clerk cuts and give it to the voter
-Voter will check the receipt
-Voter will gives to Chairman
-Chairman will put it to envelope

36. Election Offense?
Receipt
• Bringing Outside
• Picture

37. 3 Klase ang Rejected B
1.Misread Ballot
“THE BALLOT COULD NOT B
HINDI MABASA ANG BAL
Solution:
• Verify the Ballot at muling ip
• Replacement

38. 2. Previously Read Ballot
“ BALLOT PREVIOUSLY SCANNED/
ANG BALOTANG ITO AY NABASA NA”
Solution:
Press nais ipasok
Nais ito ilabas

39. 3. Invalid Ballot
(Di nakaprograma sa VCM)
“INVALID BALLOT DETECTED/MALING
BALOTA ANG NAKITA. AND PLEASE MAKE
SURE THAT
YOU RECEIVED THE CORRECT BALLOT”
Solution:
Check kung tama ang balota,
kung mali papalitan ito ng BEI

40. VCM may also Display:
-Ambiguous Mark (Malabong Marka)
-Undervotes (Kulang ang boto)
-Overvotes (Sobra ang pagboto)

41. Closing of Votes
ER Printing (8 copies)
Transmission (Automatic)
• KBP
• National Board of Canvassers
• C/MBOC

42. Legal Team
E.R. Collector
- Submit to Mother HQ

44. For the Legal Team
• Monitoring and Inspections
• Legal Works and Advocacy
• Administrative

45. BoC Structure
3-Member Collegial Body (Quorum and Majority)
COMELEC, DOJ, DEPED, Local Official and Courts
✓CCS Operator
✓Reception and Custody Group
✓Support Staff

46. BoC Role and Functions
-Canvass and Consolidate
Electronically-Transmiited Results
-Generate and Print:
➢Certificate of Canvass
➢Proclamation
➢SOV
▪Transmit Results to next level
▪Proclaim Winning Candidates

47. Other Role of the BOC:
-Orderly Canvassing
-Enforce Orders
-Order Peace Officer
-Resolve pre-proclamation
Controversies
-After proclamation, dissolve

48. BoC Supporting Staff:
- CCS Operator
- Technician
- Deputized by COMELEC
- From government Agencies, GOCC and GI
- Not Disqualified by law (4th Degree)

49. BOC Notice and Convening Time
NOTICE
- Know the date
- Notice all candidate & political paties
- BOC Convening
Lack of Notice illegal proceeding

50. Convening of BoC
Resolution 10083
-3:00 PM, May 9
-To do:
-CCS Initialization
-Canvassing
- Transmission

51. Legal Team at Canvassing
• Right to represent,
• Right to Challenge,
• Right to Raise Pre-Proc
-Only ONE can argue among lawyers
-Monitor ER Transmission
Cannot
-Touch CCS
-Delay the proceeding

52. Canvassing Activities & Procedures:
1.Exhibit CCS and its Accessories
2.CCS Initialization
3.Monitoring Transmission
4.Generate and Print COC, Proclamation
5.Transmission of Results Next Level

53. Canvassing Procedures:
6. Printing of Audit Log
7. Post-Printing Activities
8. Post-Election Report
9. Back-Up Results
10. CCS Shutdown

54. Pre-Proclamation Controversies
-Illegal Composition (4th Degree)
-Illegal Proceedings
File before BoC or Comelec Division

55. No Pre-Proclamation ( ER or COC)
▪ Appreciation
▪ Receipt and Custody
▪ Transmission
▪ Generation/Printing

56. File with the BoC Objections:
- Manifest Errors
-Discrepansies
-Delay in Transmission
-Error in Consolidation
Oral or Written Objection
Present ER/COC
Offer Evidence within 24 Hours

57. COC Distribution
Copies MBoC/PBoC
1st PBoC (for higher position)
2nd COMELEC
3rd BoC Chair
4th PPCRV
5th Congress/Senate
6th Posted for Public
7th Dominant Majority
8th Dominant Minority

58. Other 22 Copies
after Transmission

59. CCS Functions and Operations
Munic
ipal
BoC
CCS
Provinc
ial BoC
CCS

60. CCS
✓To receive ER Transmission from the VCM
✓Generate and Print COC
✓Print Statement of Votes (Breakdown)
✓Print CoC and Proclamation
✓Transmission of Result to the next level
(From Municipal to Provincial)

61. One Watcher
and
One Counsel (one can argue)

62. Reception and Custody Group (RCG)
- To receive SD card from the BEI/EO
- To receive ER copies
➢ For PBOC
CD for Provincial CCS

63. DUTY of RCG
Receive, Log, Mark,
Label (Transmitted or Non-Transmitted)
And
Submit to BoC

64. Lowering the Threshold
✓Not less than 90%
✓Remaining votes would not affect
✓Approval of the majority
✓Accomplish Form
✓Submit proper authority

65. Non-observance of the Procedure:
• Administrative Case
• Criminal Case

67. Things to do
MONITORING AND INSPECTION
Before E-DAY:
• Determine Venue of Canvassing
• Know and Greet E.O.
• Know and Ascertain BEI
• PCVL’s Copy

68. MONITORING AND INSPECTION
E-DAY:
• Check the Physical Set-up
• Escort the transport of CCS to
Polling Center

69. (Con’t.)
Canvassing
• Check the BEI if they are the ones
actually designated
• Check and ensure only persons
allowed inside the Polling Center

70. Legal Work and Advocacy
Before E-Day
• FTS Notice and Venue
• Monitor location of Election Materials
• Copy and monitor Notice of Convening
of Canvassing (May 4)

71. Legal Work and Advocacy
Election Day
• Always ready; call of QRT
• Give necessary advice to HQ or
Legal Team
• Report to the BOC at 3:00 PM,
May 9 per Reso 10083

72. Legal Work and Advocacy
Canvassing
• Enter Appearance as Counsel/
Paralegal before the BOC
• Monitor and observe Canvassing
Proceedings
• Compare and ensure consistency
of transmitted ER

73. Continue:
• Obtain Written Resolutions of
Pre-proclamation Cases
• Documents for COMELEC
• Secure a copy of ER/COC

74. 1. Legal Team ID
2. Directory
3. Master GI CCS and VCM
4. Legal Forms
Pre-Proclamation
5. List of Assignments
6. PCVL copy
7. Narrative Reports
8. Hotline and E-mail
9. Security and
Transportation
10. Logistics
Administrative

75. After the Canvassing
-Photograph the ER or the COC
-Secure copy for the party
-Quickly Email to the HQ
-Collect all Pre-Proclamation
Cases

76. Communications:
• Basic Communication Channel
• SMS
• Email
• Internet etc
• Directory
• Operation Center
• Chat Group/
• Viber

78. Thank You
Atty. Jamal Latiph Hadjiusman
(James Pagasa Latiph)
Know more,
Email me.
jamallawfirm777@gmail.com