Comelec, two telcos agree on site of data centers

from The Philippine Star

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=550710&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) and two telecommunications firms have agreed on the site of data centers that would receive electoral results on May 10.

Speaking to reporters, Renato Garcia, Comelec consultant for information technology, said the sites belong to Globe Telecom and Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.

“We are already working on the details,” he said. “These are their own facilities... (but) we cannot pinpoint the exact location.”

However, Comelec and Smartmatic-Total Information Management Corp. have not signed a contract with the telecommunication firms.
Meanwhile, Comelec Commissioner Lucenito Tagle said longer security folders would be used to cover ballots while these are being filled up by voters on election day.

Measuring 25 inches, the folders will be as long as the ballots to ensure confidentiality, he added.

The Comelec is set to bid out the contracts to supply the folders, along with other election paraphernalia like indelible ink, Tagle said.

Police to secure data centers

Philippine National Police chief Director General Jesus Verzosa assured the telecommunication firms yesterday that police will secure their offices serving as data centers on election day.

“Since last year, we have been meeting and providing security to all agencies that will be involved in the conduct of elections,” he said.

Speaking to reporters, Verzosa said police have been discussing security in coordination with other law enforcement agencies, including the Armed Forces.

“We have to look at their concern,” he said.

During Tuesday’s joint congressional committee hearing on poll automation, lawmakers were informed that Globe and PLDT-Smart have expressed second thoughts about letting the poll body use their data centers for the elections because of threats of attacks and other security concerns.

However, they have assured lawmakers and the Comelec that they will not back out of their participation in the automated elections.

Plaza: Telecoms must join polls

Agusan del Sur Rep. Rodolfo Plaza has urged telecommunications firms to reconsider their plan to withdraw from the May 10 elections.

“I strongly urge the officials of Globe Telecoms and PLDT to reconsider,” he said.

“Everyone in the country is a stakeholder in this democratic exercise and the technical services which these telecommunications firms will provide to the elections is a small price compared to the billions of pesos in profits that their customers have provided them through the years.

“It may not be too much to ask these firms to grow a moral conscience, take a gamble and work to ensure that credible and fair elections take place.

“It is within the power of the Comelec to compel these companies to comply with their contractual obligations to ensure credible elections.”

Fearing physical or technical attacks, Globe Telecoms proposed to withdraw its offer to host the main data center in the May 10 polls in its premises in Makati.

PLDT also attempted to get out of its previous offer to set up a data center in Makati.

Globe and PLDT subsequently proposed alternative sites to host the servers of the Comelec.

Smartmatic-TIM had found that PLDT Clark and Globe ComClark did not comply with the technical/infrastructure specifications.

PLDT was offering just “a small office,” while Globe ComClark lacked “the required redundancy mechanism, that included communications equipment, internal network cabling, among others,” Smartmatic-TIM said. – Sheila Crisostomo, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Jose Rodel Clapano