By Aytch S. de la Cruz (The Daily Tribune)
Link: http://www.tribune.net.ph/
Automated polls supplier Smartmatic Corp. is one extremely lucky firm, as it has also become the delivery handler of official ballots for the May 10 elections after it cornered a half-a-billion-peso contract from the poll body last March 24 aside from the P11.3-billion deal for the supply of the computerized elections equipment.
The Bids and Awards Committee of the Comelec in Resolution No. 95-2010 last March 24 named Smartmatic as the winner of the contract and the awarding was approved by the Commission on Elections (Comelec)
En Banc on the same day.
With the contract, Smartmatic practically has full control of the conduct of the elections a month from now where fears of a new form of automated cheating are currently being raised.
Presidential Deputy Spokesman Gary Olivar, meanwhile, said the admission of Smartmatic that some of the counting machines are expected to conk out on election day only serves as proof that the May polls will push through given the fallback measures expressed by way of resorting to partial manual counting.
Olivar claimed that the latest statement of Smartmatic Corp. answered the persistent questions long held by many with reference to the chain of actions deemed contributory to possible failure of elections such as power outages, vote transmission, and cyber crimes, among others.
“As we have said before, we always have the option of going back to counting the ballots manually. This is something that obviously we are good at doing, so it’s difficult for us to believe and see how problems within the machines themselves can lead to a so-called failure of elections and the others,” Olivar told reporters.
Olivar lauded Smartmatic for letting the public know what can possibly transpire and its contingency plans for it.
“I think they (Smartmatic Corp.) are just being frank talking about their obligations and responsibilities and perhaps that might be appreciated,” Olivar said.
By far, Olivar said Malacañang remains satisfied with the way how the Smartmatic is being supervised by the Comelec in its preparations for the national elections.
Olivar said he would rather not give his two cents worth on the reported shortcomings of Smartmatic, allegedly being covered by the Comelec itself, in ensuring smooth operations most especially with how things have been going on right now in the overseas absentee voting.
Candidates of the opposition Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) party also lambasted the Comelec for fueling fears of a failure of elections even as it warned that cheating will be an issue which should be addressed by the poll body aside from the issues hounding the problems about the counting machines.
According to PMP senatorial candidates Rodolfo “Ompong” Plaza and Francisco “Kit” Tatad the Comelec should tell the people now the real score in the May 10 polls in the light of numerous issues relative to the printing of the ballots, the PCOS machines and the alleged violations of the terms of reference between the poll body and Smartmatic Inc.
“The Comelec violated the terms of reference of the contract,” Plaza said yesterday
The PMP candidates together with President Estrada, vice presidential candidate Jejomar Binay, Apolinario “Jun” Lozada , JV Bautista and re-electionist senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Jinggoy Estrada arrived here yesterday to a rousing welcome led by former Congressman Gerry Espina and his clan.
Espina, whose local political party – Bando Espina – is allied with the Nationalista Party, said they would be supporting some PMP candidates.
Espina said that he can deliver a big chunk of the 90,000 voters in Biliran.
Plaza pointed out that the failure of the Comelec to enforce the use of security marks on the ballots and the use of the UV reader on the PCOS machines are violations of the contract between the Comelec and Smartmatic.
Tatad, for his part, referring to reports that the PCOS machines used in the Overseas Absentee Voting in Hong Kong had conked out, said the machines are indeed of poor quality.
Tatad said that the issue regarding the PCOS machines particularly on the function that acknowledges the vote of the voter which was disabled should be a cause of serious concern.
“That was specified in the contract,” Tatad said referring to the function of the PCOS machines to issue an acknowledgement receipt for the voter stating whom he voted for.
Tatad would not say whether the removal of certain security features was illegal even as he said that it is questionable.
Plaza said that the Comelec should also be held accountable for its apparent bid to block a fully automated elections when they has asked Congress for a budget for the fully automated polls.
“Comelec is bound to destroy the entire democratic process,” an irate Plaza said.
“At this point, we know that the PCOS machines are having some serious problems and anything is possible,” he said.
“It is both sad and heartening to learn that the Comelec admitted that the voting machines can be expected to perform below expectations on election day,” PMP spokesman for poll automation and Senate bet Joey de Venecia III said.
Sad, because the people’s hopes have been dashed, but heartening because the assessment is “a whiff of fresh air from the normally secretive Comelec,” according to de Venecia.
Of the 20 voting machines deployed in Hong Kong for overseas absentee voting for overseas Filipino workers based in the former Crown Colony, the Comelec has admitted that two failed.
“That’s a 10 percent failure rate, which is definitely not acceptable,” the ZTE-NBN whistleblower said.
Based on news reports coming from Hong Kong, four not two voting machines actually failed, for an even more disappointing 20 percent failure rate, De Venecia added.
With the expected failure of between 10 and 20 percent of all the machines to be used locally on May 10, the results of the elections at the national level will all be contestable, according to De Venecia.
“The Comelec has no choice but to conduct a parallel manual count on all precincts nationwide,” he said.
With barely four weeks left before the presidential elections, De Venecia said the poll body should not only work double time but triple time to assure the people that the final tally will be a true reflection of the people’s will, the PMP spokesman for poll automation said.
De Venecia suggested that students, NGOs and civic society be mobilized by the Comelec to help with the manual count.
“At this late stage, the Comelec is running out of options,” according to de Venecia. But the elections must push through no matter what, he added.
The political party that will be declared as the dominant minority party will be decided before the end of this week, an official of the Comelec, meanwhile, said.
Comelec Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer said the poll body has yet to rule on the petition of the coalition of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and the Nacionalista Party (NP) with Sen. Manny Villar as its standard bearer and the Liberal Party of Sen. Benigno “Nonoy” Aquino III as the dominant minority party.
“We have not yet decided on that…its still pending,” Ferrer told reporters.
But he admitted that “probably before the end of this week [we will issue our ruling].”
Ferrer insisted that NPC and NP are both duly registered political organizations the reason why the en banc acted to grant their coalition.
Marie Surbano, Gerry Baldo
Link: http://www.tribune.net.ph/
Automated polls supplier Smartmatic Corp. is one extremely lucky firm, as it has also become the delivery handler of official ballots for the May 10 elections after it cornered a half-a-billion-peso contract from the poll body last March 24 aside from the P11.3-billion deal for the supply of the computerized elections equipment.
The Bids and Awards Committee of the Comelec in Resolution No. 95-2010 last March 24 named Smartmatic as the winner of the contract and the awarding was approved by the Commission on Elections (Comelec)
En Banc on the same day.
With the contract, Smartmatic practically has full control of the conduct of the elections a month from now where fears of a new form of automated cheating are currently being raised.
Presidential Deputy Spokesman Gary Olivar, meanwhile, said the admission of Smartmatic that some of the counting machines are expected to conk out on election day only serves as proof that the May polls will push through given the fallback measures expressed by way of resorting to partial manual counting.
Olivar claimed that the latest statement of Smartmatic Corp. answered the persistent questions long held by many with reference to the chain of actions deemed contributory to possible failure of elections such as power outages, vote transmission, and cyber crimes, among others.
“As we have said before, we always have the option of going back to counting the ballots manually. This is something that obviously we are good at doing, so it’s difficult for us to believe and see how problems within the machines themselves can lead to a so-called failure of elections and the others,” Olivar told reporters.
Olivar lauded Smartmatic for letting the public know what can possibly transpire and its contingency plans for it.
“I think they (Smartmatic Corp.) are just being frank talking about their obligations and responsibilities and perhaps that might be appreciated,” Olivar said.
By far, Olivar said Malacañang remains satisfied with the way how the Smartmatic is being supervised by the Comelec in its preparations for the national elections.
Olivar said he would rather not give his two cents worth on the reported shortcomings of Smartmatic, allegedly being covered by the Comelec itself, in ensuring smooth operations most especially with how things have been going on right now in the overseas absentee voting.
Candidates of the opposition Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) party also lambasted the Comelec for fueling fears of a failure of elections even as it warned that cheating will be an issue which should be addressed by the poll body aside from the issues hounding the problems about the counting machines.
According to PMP senatorial candidates Rodolfo “Ompong” Plaza and Francisco “Kit” Tatad the Comelec should tell the people now the real score in the May 10 polls in the light of numerous issues relative to the printing of the ballots, the PCOS machines and the alleged violations of the terms of reference between the poll body and Smartmatic Inc.
“The Comelec violated the terms of reference of the contract,” Plaza said yesterday
The PMP candidates together with President Estrada, vice presidential candidate Jejomar Binay, Apolinario “Jun” Lozada , JV Bautista and re-electionist senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Jinggoy Estrada arrived here yesterday to a rousing welcome led by former Congressman Gerry Espina and his clan.
Espina, whose local political party – Bando Espina – is allied with the Nationalista Party, said they would be supporting some PMP candidates.
Espina said that he can deliver a big chunk of the 90,000 voters in Biliran.
Plaza pointed out that the failure of the Comelec to enforce the use of security marks on the ballots and the use of the UV reader on the PCOS machines are violations of the contract between the Comelec and Smartmatic.
Tatad, for his part, referring to reports that the PCOS machines used in the Overseas Absentee Voting in Hong Kong had conked out, said the machines are indeed of poor quality.
Tatad said that the issue regarding the PCOS machines particularly on the function that acknowledges the vote of the voter which was disabled should be a cause of serious concern.
“That was specified in the contract,” Tatad said referring to the function of the PCOS machines to issue an acknowledgement receipt for the voter stating whom he voted for.
Tatad would not say whether the removal of certain security features was illegal even as he said that it is questionable.
Plaza said that the Comelec should also be held accountable for its apparent bid to block a fully automated elections when they has asked Congress for a budget for the fully automated polls.
“Comelec is bound to destroy the entire democratic process,” an irate Plaza said.
“At this point, we know that the PCOS machines are having some serious problems and anything is possible,” he said.
“It is both sad and heartening to learn that the Comelec admitted that the voting machines can be expected to perform below expectations on election day,” PMP spokesman for poll automation and Senate bet Joey de Venecia III said.
Sad, because the people’s hopes have been dashed, but heartening because the assessment is “a whiff of fresh air from the normally secretive Comelec,” according to de Venecia.
Of the 20 voting machines deployed in Hong Kong for overseas absentee voting for overseas Filipino workers based in the former Crown Colony, the Comelec has admitted that two failed.
“That’s a 10 percent failure rate, which is definitely not acceptable,” the ZTE-NBN whistleblower said.
Based on news reports coming from Hong Kong, four not two voting machines actually failed, for an even more disappointing 20 percent failure rate, De Venecia added.
With the expected failure of between 10 and 20 percent of all the machines to be used locally on May 10, the results of the elections at the national level will all be contestable, according to De Venecia.
“The Comelec has no choice but to conduct a parallel manual count on all precincts nationwide,” he said.
With barely four weeks left before the presidential elections, De Venecia said the poll body should not only work double time but triple time to assure the people that the final tally will be a true reflection of the people’s will, the PMP spokesman for poll automation said.
De Venecia suggested that students, NGOs and civic society be mobilized by the Comelec to help with the manual count.
“At this late stage, the Comelec is running out of options,” according to de Venecia. But the elections must push through no matter what, he added.
The political party that will be declared as the dominant minority party will be decided before the end of this week, an official of the Comelec, meanwhile, said.
Comelec Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer said the poll body has yet to rule on the petition of the coalition of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and the Nacionalista Party (NP) with Sen. Manny Villar as its standard bearer and the Liberal Party of Sen. Benigno “Nonoy” Aquino III as the dominant minority party.
“We have not yet decided on that…its still pending,” Ferrer told reporters.
But he admitted that “probably before the end of this week [we will issue our ruling].”
Ferrer insisted that NPC and NP are both duly registered political organizations the reason why the en banc acted to grant their coalition.
Marie Surbano, Gerry Baldo
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