NATIONAL CITIZENS’ MOVEMENT FOR FREE ELECTIONS (NAMFREL)

Room 601, DMG Center, Domingo M. Guevara St., Telefax: +63 (2) 470-4151
Mandaluyong City, Philippines Wireless Landline: +63 (2) 736-0969; 788-3484
Telephone: +63 (2) 451-1586
E-Mail secretariat@namfrel.com.ph
Website: www.namfrel.org.ph

May 12, 2018

Dear NAMFREL Volunteer,

Thank you for advocating a free and fair Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan
Elections by volunteering to observe the elections through NAMFREL. If you are
a returning volunteer, welcome back. If you are a first-time volunteer observer,
we hope your experience will be a memorable one, and worthy of the time you
have offered for this endeavor.

We would just like to give you some important reminders (DO's and DON'Ts) so
that the conduct of your observation work will be smooth and more effective.

Please take the time to read all of them, and discuss them with your friends and
family if they are also observing with you.

Again, thank you for signing up to help keep the 2018 Barangay and SK
Elections free and fair. Good luck!

Very truly yours,

ERIC JUDE O. ALVIA

Secretary General
DO's

 Wear your NAMFREL Observer ID at all times. Please also bring any government-issued ID
or school ID in case you are asked to show them.
 You may introduce yourself to the School Principal and present your ID and designation letter
prior to observing in the school / voting center. We also suggest that you introduce yourself to
the local police assigned to the voting center.
 When entering a room / polling precinct, look first for the chairperson of the Board of Election
Tellers (BET) in-charge of the room, and introduce yourself as an accredited observer of
NAMFREL. Introduce yourself as well to the other observers and watchers inside the room.
 Stay in the area designated for observers. However, you may ask the chair of the BET
permission to move to another part of the room, if your view of the process is obstructed.
 Be discrete and prudent in recording the voting procedure and process when inside the
precinct. Inform the BET prior to conducting your task that you would occasionally take
photos of the precinct conditions and process only. Be careful not to violate the voter's
privacy when they are voting.
 Maintain a professional manner while observing the elections.
 If you have any questions regarding the ongoing process, ask first the chair of the BET.
 Keep your mobile devices charged. Put them on silent/vibrate mode.
 Keep yourself hydrated. Bring any personal medications with you while observing.

DON'Ts

 DO NOT touch any election materials (ballot box, ballots, accountable forms, indelible ink,
etc.)
 DO NOT converse with voters regarding their votes.
 DO NOT interfere with the voting/counting/canvassing process. Your job is to watch the
process and not to tell the BET or the watchers how to do their job. DO NOT involve yourself
when dispute arises: this will be the job of the candidates' watchers. In case of disputes,
controversies or arguments, take note on your observation form what happened and how the
problem was resolved.
 DO NOT grant interviews or entertain questions about your observation from the media,
including bloggers. Please refer any such requests to your NAMFREL area coordinator (if
any), or to the NAMFREL National Secretariat at 0939-1102872 / 0927-2443781.
 DO NOT eat inside the room.
 DO NOT linger in an area where there is ongoing conflict or violence, should it arise. While
we hope that you could note the incident in detail in your Incident Report form, your safety is
more important above all. For Incidents that need immediate attention of NAMFREL, send
INCIDENT to 0908-7233581.

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