NAMFREL

Namfrel History

"It is better to light a candle, than to curse the darkness"

Namfrel is the pioneer in election monitoring. It started with the establishment of the operations registration committee in 1957. In the 60’s and early 70’s, the Citizens National Electoral Assembly (CNEA) was organized by then Comelec chairman Jaime Ferrer with bishop Mariano Gaviola as chairman together with Jose Concepcion, Jr. of Namfrel and Charito Planas as secretary general.

Namfrel’s commitment to clean elections was best shown during the 1986 snap presidential elections with over 500,000 volunteers who offered their time, energy and even their lives, to preserve the sanctity of the ballot.

Since 1984, namfrel has been accredited by the Comelec to conduct the Operation Quick Count (OQC). Namfrel was accredited in 21 electoral exercises.

Namfrel heroes
....	Rodrigo Ponce Jaime Alcala Cresencio Barcuma Hamlet Canales Fructuoso Javines Irineo Magbanua Alexis Parao Samuel Moulic Dan Sarmiento Neoldino Del Corro Abdulhak Balabadan …and nameless volunteers, who made the supreme sacrifice of their lives to defend the sanctity of the people’s will.

Mending The Flag

We liken the country, as it goes through the triennial elections, to our dear flag mounted on a pole exposed to rain, lashed out by strong winds and burned under the intense heat of the tropical sun. The elements beat on a tender fabric.

Every elections the tender fabric of Philippine society, politics, culture, economy, religion, peace and order, its youth, its poor, its women and men, its children, its structures and institutions, its pride – most importantly its future, are subjected to the “elements.” The elements of intense political rivalry and political divide, the tense and uncertain situations and a host of other not-so-desirable events, seem as if tests that tender fabric to its limits.

The election environment sizzles for almost two weeks starting at the close of the campaign period and until the counting and canvassing of the votes. It cools down when the results seem irreversible – and that “fabric” would have taken quite a beating.

The colors fade, the stitches loosen – the damage has been done. But the Filipino fabric is a resilient one. Its inherent capacity to bear the beating of the elements and the humor woven into with each thread keeps it from tearing apart.

Post elections, it is once again time to mend the flag.

Timeline

Month/Date	Event
July 1998	Namfrel leads 10-member Philippine delegation of observers to the parliamentary elections in Cambodia
October 1998	IDEA Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark
Jan 1999	Namfrel sponsors the Manila Dialogue, participated by representatives of Indonesian EMOs
May 1999	Namfrel observed the conduct of the Special Registration in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
June 1999	Namfrel leads 100-member Philippine delegation of observers to the Indonesian Elections
February 2000	Civil society meets with Comelec to demand a plan to implement RA 8436
April-May 2000	Namfrel conducts OQC for the mayoral recall elections in Pasay city, Mercedes (Camarines Sur) and Lucena city
July-September 2000	Namfrel conducts briefings before various sectoral organizations on election automation
August -September 2000	Namfrel spearheads the signing of the Manifesto urging the Commission on Elections to implement nationwide automation for the 2001 elections
July 2000- Feb 2001	Namfrel meets with provincial chapters to prepare of the elections and to orient chapters on election automation
September 2000	Namfrel together with IT and business groups submitted the “Recommendations to the Comelec on the implementation of RA 8436 for the May 14, 2001 elections”
October 2000	Namfrel files petition for accreditation to conduct Operation Quick Count (OQC) for the 2001 elections before the Comelec
August 2000	Philippine Computer Society designates Namfrel as representative of the private sector in the Advisory Council (for RA 8436) of the Comelec
October 2000	The Advisory Council (private sector representatives) and Namfrel submitted their comments/concerns on the Invitation for Bids for the ACCORS project
December 2000	Namfrel delivered a paper entitled “Comelec can still automate the May 14, 2001 polls up to 80% of the precincts in the country” before the House committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms during its public hearing on amendments to RA 8436.
July 2001	Namfrel OQC tallies X% of total precincts for senatorial posts and X% of precincts for the party-list elections

Electoral Exercises

Month/Date	Event
1984	Election Of Members Of The Batasan Pambansa
1986	Snap Presidential Election
1987	National Plebiscite On The 1987 Constitution
1988	National Elections For Local Positions
1988	Congressional Elections
1990	Plebiscite On The Organic Act Of The Autonomous Region In Muslim Mindanao (Armm)
1990	Plebiscite On The Organic Act Of The Cordillera Autonomous Region
1990	First Regular Elections Of The Armm
1992, With The Media Citizens’ Quick Count	General Synchronized Elections For National And Local Positions
1995	General Elections For Senatorial And Local Positions
1995	General Registration In The Armm
1996	Legislative Assembly Elections In The Armm
1996	Special Elections In Parang, Province Of Sulu
1997	General Registration Of Voters
1997	Recall Elections In Kalookan City
1998	General Elections For National And Local Positions
1999	General Registration In The Armm
2000	Recall Elections In Pasay City
2000	Recall Elections In Mercedes, Camarines Norte
2000	Recall Elections In Lucena City, Quezon
May 14, 2001	National And Local Elections
August 14, 2001	Expanded Armm Plebiscite
November 26, 2001	Armm Legislative Assembly Elections
May 10, 2004	National Elections
May 14, 2007	Midterm Elections
May 10, 2010	National Elections
May 13, 2013	National and Local Elections
October 28, 2013	Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections
May 9, 2016	National and Local Elections
May 14, 2018	Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections