Child labor on Election Day?

DESPITE the Commission on Elections’ order against the use of campaign paraphernalia within the election vicinity, there were candidates in Manila who didn’t seem to care. They even authorized children ages six to 13 to distribute sample ballots while wearing “vote-for-me” shirts in an area near the Ramon Magsaysay High School in Manila.

Each child was given P50 to P200 in exchange for distributing ballots from early morning till 3 p.m. yesterday. The children also weren’t given lunch money. By 1:30 p.m., some of them hadn’t had lunch.

PCIJ intern Joanna Dellosa, a third year journalism student at the University of Sto. Tomas, took these photos of Election Day scenes at the Ramon Magsaysay High School in Manila.