SCREENGRAB FROM TWITTER
Photos of indelible-ink-painted nails and posts tagged with the hashtag #Election2016 dominated social media on Monday morning as Filipinos went out to vote.
As of 11 a.m., the hashtags #Election2016 (103,000 tweets), #MIRIAMforPRESIDENT (35,700 tweets), #DearFilipinos and #THISTIMEVoteWisely (11,500 tweets) were trending on Twitter.
However, topping the list of trending hashtags is #ALDUBinITALYDay1, which features reactions of the fans of actors Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza, who are in Italy to shoot a movie.
Netizens used the hashtag #Election2016 to post that they have voted already or to report the situation in their precinct.
“Lord, bless our country for a clean and decent election,” one Twitter user said.
“Let us bring to the attention of Comelec (Commission on Elections) the offense committed by supporters of other candidates. Precincts must be neutral,” another one posted.
Many hoped that this year’s elections would be clean and orderly.
A number of users, however, posted about glitches involving the vote-counting machines and alleged election offenses, such as taking photos of filled ballots and wearing of campaign paraphernalia.
Among the most talked about posts is the photo of actress Kathryn Bernardo wearing campaign ballers and showing off her ballot, which was unfilled, to photographers. Comelec earlier said that taking photos of a filled out ballot is prohibited although using a blank one is permissible.
READ: No ‘selfie’ with ballots, please, poll body advises
Supporters of presidential candidate Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago are also making their voice heard through the hashtag #MIRIAMforPRESIDENT. Santiago has been lagging behind her four competitors in the presidential race. However, she has consistently topped surveys held by students and in universities.
Meanwhile, #DearFilipinos and #THISTIMEVoteWisely are being used to remind Filipinos to make the right decisions and to vote for the right candidates.
About 55 million Filipinos are registered to vote today, which was proclaimed a special non-working holiday, while 18,000 elected positions will be up for grabs. CDG/rga