3,000 law students join anti-poll fraud network

AROUND 3,000 Law and paralegal students from the Ateneo de Manila University, Lyceum of the Philippines and Manuel L. Quezon University have volunteered for active roles in preventing election fraud through the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (Lente).

Lente is looking to deploy at least 10,000 volunteers, including 3,200 lawyers and 6,400 paralegals, in over 1,600 municipalities and cities as well as 81 provinces nationwide. The student-volunteers will assist Lente lawyers and paralegals in provincial, city and municipal canvassing areas. Other volunteers will work as regional coordinators and in the operations secretariat.

Lente co-convenor and former Commission on Elections chair Christian Monsod said, "This is the first time that the students are participating on this magnitude. I applaud them for their willingness to volunteer and participate."

In the past, student volunteers had only served as poll watchers under the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections.

Atty. Carlos Medina, Lente co-convenor, said the group was formed to prevent "widespread and systematic fraud" in the forthcoming elections. He said they are looking to fill in the "missing link" in previous elections, which is to provide legal recourse for the poll watchers and members of the Board of Election Inspectors.

Lente members include the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, One Voice, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines-National Secretariat for Social Action, Namfrel, Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, Caucus for Development NGO Networks.