Poll machines pass 2nd round of tests

By Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star)
Link:http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=573031&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - Automated elections nationwide will be held as scheduled on Monday, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said yesterday with renewed optimism after the machines passed a second round of tests.

Comelec Chairman Jose Melo said compact flash cards will be distributed by Saturday to 95 percent of the clustered precincts throughout the country.

“In case there would be precincts in very, very remote areas without compact flash cards or if they do not arrive on time, voters will still go and vote, and their ballots will be deposited in ballot boxes and, on election day itself or the day after the flash cards arrive and (are) tested, the ballots will then be fed for counting,” he said.

Results of testing of PCOS machines, particularly in Metro Manila, showed a 100 percent match of manual and machine counting of votes, he added.

Melo said manual counting of votes would be held only in small municipalities, in case a machine would malfunction and a spare one is not immediately available.

Warn of protest actions vs poll body Elite groups press Comelec on manual count

(The Daily Tribune)
Link: http://www.tribune.net.ph/

Insisting that a parallel and manual count at the precinct level would bring about credible elections, an elite group of businessmen, who are mostly identified with the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel), yesterday called a press conference at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City, putting additional pressure on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to allow a parallel count of the ballots in the precinct level.

The press conference was carried live on the Lopez cable network yesterday morning.

There were hints from some members of the group that, apart from coming up with an open letter to the Comelec, massive protest actions will be employed.

Earlier, there was staged in front of the Comelec, the so-called “Jericho” march, which harks back to the biblical Jericho walls that crumbled.

The business groups warned of massive protests to be staged but failed to state whether these would be staged before the polls, or after the polls.

The group, led by the Makati Business Club (MBC), wants a parallel manual count of the May 10 automated polls, stressing that the manual count will usher in credibility and acceptability of the May 10 election results.

Comelec exec tagged in secrecy folder deal Lawyer says directive to suspend bidding defied

By Leila Salaverria (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Link: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100426-266445/Comelec-exec-tagged-in-secrecy-folder-deal

MANILA, Philippines—The winning bidder in the scuttled purchase by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) of ballot secrecy folders bagged a contract in 2008 after an election executive allegedly defied a directive of the poll body to postpone the bidding, a Comelec official said.

Lawyer Melchor Magdamo, who is assigned to the office of Comelec Chair Jose Melo, made the statement in an affidavit he submitted to a panel investigating the earlier decision to buy from OTC Paper Supply 1.8 million ballot secrecy folders at P380 each, a deal worth nearly P700 million.

The secrecy folder deal has since been junked, but the poll body has decided to probe the circumstances leading to its decision to buy the “extravagant” folders.

OTC has disputed claims that the folders were overpriced and has contested the Comelec decision not to push through with the contract.

Comelec: No 'ghost' polling precincts

By Sheila Crisostomo (The Philippine Star)
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=569029&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday denied the existence of “ghost” polling centers in the list of precincts they asked Smartmatic-Total Information Management Corp. (TIM) to survey.

In a press briefing, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez belied an abs -cbnNews.com/Newsbreak report about “ghost” precincts in Metro Manila and other parts of the country.

Citing Smartmatic-TIM’s site survey reports to the Comelec, the news agency revealed that the joint venture’s surveyors have failed to locate 57 polling centers which pertain to public schools.

“It was a regular report and it was misinterpreted as ghost precincts because of findings that supposedly so and so number was not found by the team. It’s as simple as that. The report itself does not make any claim that there are missing precincts,” he noted.

Smartmatic inks service contract with telcos for auto polls

By Sheila Crisostomo (The Philippine Star)
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=568672&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - Smartmatic-Total Information Management Corp. (TIM) forged yesterday a memorandum of agreement with telecommunication companies to avail of their services in the May 10 polls.

The agreement was signed by representatives of Globe, PLDT Smart, Digitel and Smartmatic-TIM while Commission on Elections (Comelec) officials, led by Chairman Jose Melo, stood as witnesses.

Under the agreement, the system of these companies will be used to transmit the poll results from the voting centers to the canvassing centers and to the national canvassing centers.

“The way I look at it, this completes the circle because we are going to have preparations for the elections, the printing, the configuration and manufacture of the PCOS (precinct count optical scan) machines, everything,” Melo said.

Melo says postponement of polls 'unconstitutional'

By Helen Flores (The Philippine Star)
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=568671&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - There’s no stopping the national and local elections on May 10 despite a petition for their postponement by a presidential candidate, according to Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Jose Melo.

“That’s unconstitutional… because the Constitution itself provides for the specific date on which an election will be held,” Melo said in reaction to a petition to postpone the polls filed by independent presidential candidate Nicanor Perlas.

The Comelec has yet to deliberate on Perlas’ petition.

In his petition, Perlas cited the agency’s lack of preparedness in carrying out its duties in the first nationwide automated polls.

In a 34-page petition, Perlas said the Comelec should first ensure that the automated elections system (AES) is fool proof before it proceeds with the elections in May.

Comelec enters passwords for automated system

By Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star)
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=568388&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday took the first step to thwart any attempt to alter the results of the country’s first automated elections by entering passwords to secure the system.

Comelec Chairman Jose Melo said the poll body, together with two opposition legislators, already entered three separate passwords and locked the Central Canvassing System (CCS) of the automated election system.

Melo said he, Sen. Francis Escudero and Makati Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr. each entered a six- to eight-character code to prevent anyone from opening the entire automated election system.

“Each of us entered a code and we don’t know each other’s password so the system is now locked and in order to open the CCS, the three of us should be there and must re-enter the code,” Melo explained.

Comelec brags: Transport fees trimmed down by 50%

By Marie A. Surbano ( The Daily Tribune )
Link: http://www.tribune.net.ph/

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) reported that the cost of transporting the 50.7 million ballots from the National Printing Office (NPO) to the Philpost distribution center has been sliced by more than 50 percent of its original P92 million quotation.

Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said from the initial cost of P92 million, the transportation cost of the ballots went down to some P50 million and was further reduced to P23 million.

But Larrazabal refused to provide additional details of the forwarding companies the poll body will be tapping to transfer these ballots from the NPO.

In a separate interview, Comelec Commissioner Lucenito Tagle also confirmed that the en banc agreed to cut the cost of the ballots transfer to P23 million.

Unprepared poll body worries lawyers

By Tetch Torres ( Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Link: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20100420-265385/Unprepared-poll-body-worries-lawyers

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines—Be on the right side of history, the oldest voluntary national organization of lawyers told the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as it expressed concern over the poll body’s lack of preparation for the forthcoming national and local elections.

In a statement, the Philippine Bar Association (PBA), through its president Atty. Simeon Marcelo, enumerated the problems plaguing the Comelec’s preparations to include: malfunctioning Precinct Count Optical Scan machines, lack of independent source code review, delayed printing of official ballots,

Controversies in the public bidding for the supply of indelible ink and ballot secrecy folders, use of unreliable logistics firms, lack of transparency in the canvassing of votes, lack of contingency/continuity plans, lack of an effective voters’ education campaign, and lack of a legal framework in case of failure of elections.

Melo: Poll failure is pure fantasy

By Miriam Desacada (The Philippine Star)  

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=560789&publicationSubCategoryId=63

TACLOBAN CITY – Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Jose Melo yesterday reassured the public that a failure of elections on May 10 is “pure fantasy.”

“I am informing the public that there will be no failure of elections in May, that this (scenario) is purely fantasy as we have been preparing for this and we expect everything to turn out well with the use of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines,” Melo told a joint press conference of the Comelec, Armed Forces, Philippine National Police and the Department of Education after a meeting with local authorities here and the signing of a peace covenant with Eastern Visayas candidates.

Melo said they do not discount the possibility of having minor problems in the local levels but said these will certainly not be caused by glitches in the machines.

Melo also allayed fears that the rotating blackouts being experienced in some parts of the country may affect the results of the polls since the PCOS machines have batteries that may run until the end of voting time and the results will immediately be released.

Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento added that in case a PCOS machine breaks down, there are spare units that could be used.

NO FREE PASS FOR PRE-CAMPAIGN ADS Top bets liable for breach of ethics; donors for taxes

By Malou Mangahas (Malaya) Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
http://www.malaya.com.ph/03232010/news4.html

THEY probably thought they got a free pass to flood television with political ads beyond the airtime and spending limits set in law, having run commercials before the 90-day campaign period could start last February 9.

But the top candidates for president and vice president, as well as those who donated and bankrolled their pre-campaign ads, had better think again, according to lawyers and officials of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

By the letter and spirit of anti-graft and tax laws, say the lawyers and tax officials, their pre-campaign period airing of political ads does not free the candidates and their donors of all liabilities.

By PCIJ’s calculations, the combined actual ad spending of six presidential candidates and four vice-presidential candidates from November 1, 2009 to February 8, 2010 comes up to P1.472 billion. By most standards, the amount is huge enough to compromise these candidates, most of whom are incumbent public officials.

The figure is also huge enough to shore up the tax collection drive of the BIR amid the country’s rising fiscal deficit -- if the candidates’ donors have paid taxes.

Just last week, BIR Commissioner Joel Tan-Torres said his agency has collected only P100 million from the five-percent withholding tax slapped on all political contributions and campaign expenditures of candidates during the campaign period.

Legarda worried over possible poll fraud

By Christina Mendez (The Philippine Star) 

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=559640&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - With the first poll automation this May, vice-presidential candidate Loren Legarda (NP-NPC) expressed fears yesterday over possible poll fraud.

During The STAR’s vice presidential series, Legarda admitted that it would be a big challenge for her and the Nacionalista Party, led by running mate Sen. Manuel Villar, to protect their votes.

Legarda, who decried poll fraud in the 2004 elections, noted the contrast in the manual and automated elections, making it hard to detect poll manipulations in May.

“I can’t use the lessons learned in 2004 now because it’s computerized. One cannot imagine how to fight the fraud in computerized elections,” she said.

She called for vigilance to help protect their votes and ensure the victory of the entire NP slate in the elections.

“The challenge is that the preparedness in vigilance and guarding your votes is different in 2004 when it was still manual voting. So I don’t know how to guard my votes, I let my people in the party and Manny to help protect our votes together,” she said.

Legarda, who has gone through four national elections as senator and then vice president in 2004 and this year, noted that election now is “more expensive because my rivals have more resources than I do.”

She noted that her main rival, Sen. Manuel Roxas II, has spent a billion pesos in political advertisements for the past two years when he started gearing up for the presidency.

She said she decided to run for vice-president because she thinks she can do more to help the Filipino people.

“Why am I running for vice? At 50, there is not much more I would want in life. God has been good to me. While I have made mistakes, I also had triumphs. While I had many sad moments, I also had many blessings. I believe I can do much as vice-president for now and help my president.”

She said she would still continue her United Nations assignment for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation even if she becomes vice-president.

Defending Villar

Shrugging off criticisms of her sudden decision to run with Villar, Legarda said she was left with no running mate when Sen. Francis Escudero suddenly dropped from the presidential race. Legarda and Escudero were being groomed then by the Nationalist People’s Coalition as running mates.

“In 1995, I did not know Manny Villar from Adam, yet I choose him as one of the 10 most admired Filipinos of that year. I admired him from a distance because I read about him in a foreign magazine as the brown taipan,” she said, recalling her stint with “Inside Story,” a public affairs program with ABS-CBN.

She said Villar’s rag to riches story got her interested even then.

Believing that Villar would win the elections, Legarda defended her vote against Villar during a coup in the Senate in the November 2007.

“I am the 14th person that Manny approached to get my vote for the Senate President. And I told him I committed my vote for Nene (Pimentel), he is also a good man and a colleague,” she explained.

“When you don’t vote for a colleague, it does not mean you don’t like him or you hate him. That’s the dynamics in the Senate, you don’t always vote together.”

“It’s not an ouster, but as I said, when you vote for another colleague, it does not mean he is your enemy. We don’t take things personally.”

On Erap

In her role in the impeachment move against former President Joseph Estrada, Legarda said she would have wanted that the process led to a fair judgment.

“On hindsight now, the process should have commenced. We should have allowed the defense to present its case and there should have been a verdict so there was a fair judgment and a fair court,” she said.

Probe sought on 6 party-list groups

By Sheila Crisostomo With Jose Rodel Clapano (The Philippine Star)

Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=558457&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) was asked yesterday to investigate six party-list groups for alleged links to President Arroyo.

In a letter to Comelec Chairman Jose Melo, Kontra Daya said Agbiag Timpuyag Ilocano Inc. (Agbiag), Babae Para sa Kaunalaran (Babae Ka), Youth League for Peace Advancement (Lypad) and Kalahi Sectoral Party (Kalahi) would “bastardize” the party-list system if allowed to run on May 10.

In a memorandum dated Oct. 16, 2006, Malacañang’s Office of External Affairs said these party-list groups must be supported, the letter added.

Kontra Daya said Adhikain ng mga Dakilang Anak Maharlika (ADAM) was formed by Energy Undersecretary Zamsamin Ampatuan, while the Binigkis na Interes ng mga Drayber sa Adhikain Inc. (Bida) was founded by Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. chairman Efraim Genuino.

“We urge the Comelec to immediately conduct an investigation and a public hearing on the issues raised,” Kontra Daya said.

“This can serve as an initial step in correcting the abuses of the party-list system.”

The Comelec must be watchful over the possible endorsement of Ang Galing Pinoy (AGP) and 1-Utak whose nominees are Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo and Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes, Kontra Daya added.

JDV III: Protect counting machines