Election day violations? Sample ballots litter Manila polling places

Sample ballots and campaign materials are seen strewn around Manila schools on election day, May 12. INQUIRER.net / DIANNE SAMPANG

MANILA, Philippines — Sample ballots and campaign materials of some national and local candidates were scattered inside and near several schools in Manila on election day.

The schools, such as Rosauro Almario Elementary School and Manuel L. Quezon Elementary School in Tondo, Manila, and Legarda Elementary School in Sampaloc, Manila, serve as the polling places for the May 12 polls.

INQUIRER.net / DIANNE SAMPANG

While most campaign materials were crumpled, folded in half, or stomped upon, names of the candidates were still readable.

READ: LIVE UPDATES: Voting ongoing for 2025 elections

A man was even seen distributing campaign flyers of a local candidate outside Manuel L. Quezon Elementary School in Tondo, Manila. This is not an isolated case, as reports showed that many sample ballots and paraphernalia were also distributed in other parts of the country.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday said that distributing sample ballots or any kind of election paraphernalia is considered “illegal campaigning.”

INQUIRER.net / DIANNE SAMPANG

READ: Comelec: Giving sample ballots during election is illegal campaigning

“Distributing campaign material, which includes sample ballots, is campaigning. And campaigning is prohibited [on] May 11 and 12.),” John Rex Laudiangco, Comelec spokesperson, told reporters in Filipino in a Viber message.

Poll watchdog Vote Report PH on Monday announced that as of 10:30 a.m., it received a total of 5.26% reports of illegal campaigning.

Most of the reports received concerned errors in automated counting machines (42.11%), red tagging (22.37%), and non-compliance by electoral board members and board of electoral inspectors. /jpv