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9
May
Poll readiness in doubt
How ready is ready?
Research by one of the country’s biggest media organizations that revealed that only about half of all the voting machines were in place less than two days before the elections belies the claim by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that election day will run smoothly, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) senatorial candidate Joey de Venecia III said yesterday.
De Venecia cited an ABS-CBN News report which said only 51.9 percent of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines were in the polling places nationwide less than two days before the polls open Monday.
The ABS-CBN report was as of 9:00 am, Saturday, May 8.
A statement from Comelec Commissioner Lucenito Tagle that 48 percent of the machines and ballot boxes have been delivered to the precincts as of Saturday afternoon means the poll body “is scrambling” to deliver the remaining 52 percent, the PMP bet said.
“The Comelec should clarify the report immediately,” de Venecia said, adding that repeated attempts to open the Comelec website for up-to-date information had all failed.
“The public has been given conflicting figures by the Comelec on their state of readiness with the latest claims saying they are almost 100 percent ready. How ready can they be ready when almost half of the 76,000 machines to be used are not even installed this close to the elections?” de Venecia asked.
The ABS-CBN report also said only 64 percent of the ballots and 14.5 percent of the reconfigured flash cards to be used had been delivered.
Smartmatic, on the other hand, said 70 percent of replacement flash cards had been installed as of Saturday, while Comelec officials said they expected between 50 to 60 percent of all cities and municipalities to have tested and sealed the voting machines by midnight Saturday.
“The credibility of the news department of the country’s largest broadcast network is hard to question. The figures cited will certainly have some basis in fact,” according to the son and namesake of former Speaker Jose de Venecia.
He said the Comelec and Smartmatic’s lack of transparency on implementation of the automated electoral system (AES) on election day could place the results to be announced by the poll body under a cloud of doubt.
“Losing candidates will not readily concede. Even winners will suspect that their winning margins are actually much bigger because too many votes may not be counted,” de Venecia said.
It is because of such doubts that spurred PMP presidential bet Joseph Estrada last week to seek a 15-day postponement of the elections, which was rejected by the Supreme Court, he added.
“Since the elections are proceeding as scheduled, the best thing to do is for the people to unite to protect the vote and report all cases of cheating or irregularities to the media, to the poll watchdogs, and to the authorities,” de Venecia said.
The public should also give all possible support to the 230,000 public school teachers serving as Board of Election Inspectors nationwide, he added.
The IT businessman said a steady stream of information from credible sources disseminated properly and immediately would go a long way in easing public concerns over the AES. (30)
