DRE, OMR systems for 2010 elections

MAKATI CITY, Philippines -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) would likely use multiple technologies if it finally automates the elections in 2010.

The Comelec Advisory Council, spearheaded by Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) secretary Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III, has finally issued the group’s official recommendations before the Comelec.

The council has recommended that Comelec use direct recording electronic (DRE) and optical scan technologies in the 2010 national and local elections.

In its resolution dated November 29, the council recommended the following: DRE or precinct count optical scan (PCOS) technology for all areas, subject to the election automation budget of the Comelec; central count optical scan (CCOS) technology for all other areas not covered by DRE or PCOS technology; and the public telecommunications networks for the transmission of results.

DRE allows a voter to cast a vote directly on a machine by the use of a touch-screen, touchpad, keypad or other device and the machine records the individual votes and calculates the total electronically.

PCOS and CCOS technologies utilize an optical scanner, into which paper ballots marked by hand by the voter are inserted to be counted. PCOS places a scanner at every precinct, while CCOS places a scanner in every voting center or cluster of precincts.

The Comelec advisory council was created through Republic Act 9369, which provides for the creation of an inter-agency advisory body to evaluate and recommend the "most appropriate, secure, applicable and cost-effective" automation technology.

In a separate interview, Comelec Spokesperspon James Jimenez said the Comelec en banc group would study the recommendations forwarded by the Comelec Advisory Council.

Of the recommended technologies, Jimenez said the DRE has received some opposition since the automated election system was perceived to be vulnerable to attacks.

"For the Comelec, it would be a balance of interests regarding the election technology to be deployed in 2010," said Jimenez.

The key challenge to the implementation of the election machines would be the "per precinct cost of each machine to be deployed," Jimenez said.

Cost was a "big factor" considered by the Advisory Council in making their recommendations due to the total number of precincts to be supplied with machines during the elections, the Comelec spokesperson added.

The en banc group hopes to reach a decision immediately so the Comelec can start procurement of the machines as early as January 2009, Jimenez said.

The Comelec has said that it requires $21 billion budget to implement the automation of polls.

Jimenez said the agency is optimistic the Senate and the Department of Budget and Management will support the proposed budget.

"Automated polls would work for the best interest of everyone and we are confident no one will stand in its implementation," said Jimenez.

Meanwhile, Senator Richard Gordon said during his visit at the Election Technologies Conference late in November that he does not favor optical scans due to its limitations.

Comelec launches voters information campaign

MANILA, Philippines – With the resumption of the nationwide registration of voters in preparation for the 2010 general elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday launched an information campaign to encourage first-time voters to register.

A radio dzBB report quoted Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez as saying the campaign, titled “Be the Change: Botanteng Pilipino, Magparehistro Ka" (Filipino Voter, Register) was launched at the University of Santo Tomas campus in Manila.

Present at the launch were volunteers from the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), the report said.

The Comelec on Tuesday resumed its continuing nationwide registration of voters. The listing will run until Dec. 15, 2009. The continuing registration will include the capture of biometrics data, the poll body said earlier.

The poll body has also partnered with several groups to set up satellite registration sites, or those outside the premises of city or municipal election officers.

The first satellite office was likewise opened Tuesday in UST. gmanews.tv

Groups push for transparency, 'hybrid' counting for 2010

MANILA, Philippines – With the 2010 elections approaching, a coalition of civil society groups on Tuesday called for transparency in the election process in a bid to prevent, if not eliminate, cases of poll fraud.

At the same time, the groups pushed for a "hybrid" system of counting for the coming polls, saying that the Commission on Elections' system is still open to cheating.

In a forum in Makati City, the Movement for Good Governance particularly tackled election automation and underscored its advantages and drawbacks on efforts to introduce electoral reform.

Speaking before the forum was National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) Information Technology systems head and technology expert Augusto Lagman, a proponent and critic of automated elections.

Lagman expressed reservations regarding the proposed direct recording electronic (DRE) technology and the optical mark reader (OMR) machines that the government plans on using for the full automation of the forthcoming elections.

The DRE system allows voting through a touch-screen or touch-pad, while the OMR system requires voters to shade an oval corresponding to the candidate's name on a paper ballot. The ballot is then read by the OMR machine.

Lagman said that while both systems are beneficial, "wholesale cheating" will not yet be completely eliminated as poll results can still be tampered with "because of human intervention."

He then added that the systems are not transparent to the eyes of the public and "voters will still distrust vote-counting that they do not see."

Lagman then said that even if Commission on Elections (Comelec) claimed that the recent Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) automated polls held in August 2008 was successful, it "was a mere formality" and "was not a good place to test the (automated) system."

"The ARMM as a region has a significance only when it is part of the national elections," Lagman said, noting that the region is self-ruling and its developments are but internal matters.

Another system

The Namfrel IT systems chief instead proposed the Open Elections System (OES), a Web-based solution that makes use of a portal through which the Comelec encoders can directly post election returns or transmit data via mobile phone (SMS) messaging.

It is a "hybrid" process that uses manual counting of votes at the precinct level and automated systems in the succeeding levels. This mechanism makes the election process more transparent than other technologies, Lagman said.

Under the system, election returns (ERs) will be brought to an encoding center. The ERs will then be validated then posted on the Web with the Board of Election Inspectors' digital signatures. The City/Municipality Board of Canvassers will produce the Statement of Votes and Certificate of Canvasses in an online database.

All interested parties may access the database and process the read-only data by themselves. All interested parties may likewise send text messages to poll watchers to verify the results.

Lagman said the OES system encourages transparency and public participation as ordinary citizens can play an active role in monitoring election results.

Lagman added that they are moving to make the proposal to the Comelec and to gather public support and volunteers should the system be approved.

'We Deserve Better'

The forum was entitled "We Deserve Better" and was organized to push for transparency and accountability in the government.

Automated elections is one of the key issues in governance and civic participation the movement.

"We formed the Movement for Good Governance because we felt this country deserves better. We felt that we should organize a constituency for reform which would actively work to bring about good governance," the group said in a statement.

"Some may call this naiveté but we believe it is worth trying and is possible. The status quo of traditional politics and traditional citizen action will only drag us down further," the group added. gmanews.tv

Melo to quit if no polls in 2010

MANILA, Philippines—Jose Melo declared Thursday he will resign from the Commission on Elections if the Constitution is amended to postpone the 2010 presidential elections and the situation turns into something resembling martial law.

Melo, in an interview with the media, said there would be no need for the commission if moves to amend the Constitution and stop 2010 elections are successful.

Talk that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will not step down after her term expires in 2010 resurfaced after Press Secretary Jesus Dureza prayed for Arroyo to “have forbearance, good health, and tolerance to lead this nation until 2010, and who knows, perhaps even beyond..." at the start of a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Critics of the Arroyo administration fear that Charter change would give her and her allies the opportunity to amend provisions so she can stay on in power as prime minister in a new parliamentary set-up after her term ends.

Term extension is a “non-issue,” the Comelec chairman said. “For us, [the President's term] ends in 2010. That is according to our current system.”

When pressed by the media to comment on the possibility that there will be no elections in 2010, Melo said, "Then we will resign. We won't have anything to do because that would be like martial law.”

Despite talk that administration allies were resurrecting Charter change movement, Melo and other Comelec officials said they were confident that the 2010 presidential elections, their main preoccupation these days, will push through.

The Comelec is in the middle of organizing the 2010 presidential and national elections, where they expect around 40 million voters to elect a new batch of leaders using computerized voting machines.

The Comelec is currently studying options for automated voting systems. The poll body said automating elections would mean less cheating and faster results.

Commissioner Lucenito Tagle said advocates of Charter change would not have enough time for the bill to become a law. They would also have to gather public support for it, he said.

“We are busy preparing for the 2010 elections. Nothing can stop that,” Tagle said.

“I don't know if that can still change the Charter. They only have less than two years to do it,” he added.

If Charter change advocates call for a plebiscite, Tagle said the Comelec has no funds for a national-level vote.

“There is no budget for it. Congress should appropriate,” he explained.

He noted that the commission already has issued a resolution this week suspending all action on recall election petitions due to lack of funds.

The Comelec said the budget for recall elections currently stands at P5 million. inquirer.net

Comelec chair vows to resign if 2010 polls are postponed

MANILA, Philippines - Commission on Elections chairman Jose Melo on Thursday said he will resign his post if reported plans to amend the Constitution and postpone the 2010 elections push through.

In an interview with reporters, Melo said such a scenario would render the Comelec useless and will bring the country back to a Martial Law-like era.

“We will resign... Wala na kasi tayong gagawin kung magkaganun ang mangyari e kasi parang Martial Law na yan," Melo said.

Melo noted that his primary agenda in accepting the post as the new Comelec chair earlier this year was to ensure that the conduct of the 2010 elections will be modernized.

The Commission has started the preparation for the full automation of the 2010 national elections as it has been conducting a series of massive information campaign on changes in registration from manual to biometrics system as well as the use of automated counting machines.

It is looking to duplicate the success achieved by last August’s Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) elections, where the result was already known two days after.

Melo, however, expressed doubts whether the administration is keen on pursuing Charter change. “Do we have the time? And may plano nga ba talaga ngayon?" the Comelec chair asked.

Comelec Commissioner Lucenito Tagle shared Melo's sentiment saying: “I don’t know if there is enough time pa. And sinabi na din ni (Executive Secretary Eduardo) Ermita na she (President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo) will step down," Tagle said.

Melo said that as far as the Comelec is concerned, they are just focused on their preparations for the 2010 elections, which is mandated under the current system.

“Para sa amin, hanggang 2010 na lang talaga siya (President Arroyo)… That is according to our current system," Melo said.

Renewed efforts to pursue constitutional amendments escalated last Tuesday after Press Secretary Jesus Dureza uttered a controversial prayer at the beginning of a Cabinet meeting.

In the said prayer, the Palace official asked for President Arroyo to “have forbearance, good health, and tolerance to lead this nation until 2010, and who knows, perhaps even beyond."

The prayer came a day after the Senate, which has been the biggest stumbling block in transforming Congress into a Constituent Assembly, changed leadership from an opposition stalwart in Sen. Manuel Villar Jr to an administration ally in Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile. gmanews.tv

Mandatory presidential debate in RP has no legal basis - poll lawyer

MANILA, Philippines – An election lawyer on Monday said the mandatory presidential debates proposed by a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official has no legal basis.

A radio report quoted lawyer Romulo Macalintal as saying that holding mandatory presidential debates is not included in the Constitutional requirements for those who intend to run for presidency.

A separate report over dzBB radio also quoted Macalintal as saying that the Comelec can only "invite" presidential candidates for a debate and that no penalties may be imposed on those who refuse to be part of the debates.

Last week, Malacañang welcomed Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento’s proposal for the conduct of mandatory presidential debates, saying this may be a good way to help voters decide on who to vote.

Deputy Presidential Spokesman Anthony Golez Jr said it is a good idea to have such debates to educate voters in time for the next presidential election, but said Malacañang is leaving it up to the Comelec to look into the matter.

"Pinauubaya natin yan sa Comelec. Kung ‘yan ang pananaw nila sila ang expert diyan (We leave that to the Commission on Elections. If that is its opinion, they are the experts there)," Golez said on government-run dzRB radio.

Golez said the present government will support whatever initiative is proposed to bolster the country's democratic processes. gmanews.tv

Palace warm to suggestion for mandatory presidential debates

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang is warm to a reported proposal by a poll official to have mandatory debates among presidential candidates for the 2010 elections.

Deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez Jr. said it is a good idea to have such debates to educate voters in time for the next presidential election.

"Pinauubaya natin yan sa Comelec. Kung ‘yan ang pananaw nila sila ang expert diyan (We leave that to the Commission on Elections. If that is its opinion, they are the experts there)," he said on government-run dzRB radio.

The proposal came from Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, who said such debates may be a good way to help voters decide the best candidate.

Golez said the present government will support whatever initiative is proposed to bolster the country's democratic processes.

"Ang pamahalaan naman natin, ang administrasyon ng Pangulong Arroyo, sinusuportahan anumang panukala na makakatulong sa pag-aayos ng ating democratic process (This administration supports any suggestion that can bolster our democratic processes)," he said.

"Anything that would make us understand if we can understand the capabilities who is going to run for office, napakaimportante sa mamamayan ang malaman ang kakayahan ng individual (it is important that our people know the capabilities of each candidate)," he added. gmanews.tv

COMELEC to require presidential debates in 2010

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) will pass a resolution to hold presidential and vice-presidential debates as part of the preparations for the 2010 elections.

COMELEC Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, who was in Washington, D.C. to observe the US elections, said the televised debates of US president-elect barack Obama and Sen. John McCain helped voters decide.

"The debates informed the electorate about the candidates' persona and stand on various issues," Sarmiento said.

Sarmiento said debates to be held in the Philippines will "gauge the capacity, potential and eloquence of candidates."

Sarmiento cited debates as among the 10 lessons from the 2008 US presidential elections in a paper he wrote. Another lesson: the use of automated election system fast-tracked the voting, counting and announcing of election results. abs-cbnnews.com

COMELEC Chairman Jose Melo told reporters he is confident the Philippines will be able to see something like this happen here in 2010. He said he has instructed the COMELEC advisory council to speed up its process of selecting vendors and technology for 2010.

Sarmiento also noted the "gracious and immediate" concession of McCain, saying it is "worth emulating."

"The fine democratic behavior demonstrates a political maturity and strongly contributes to political stability" paving the way for "post-election healing... where winners and losers participated in a parade to symbolically 'bury the hatchet,'" he said.

Sarmiento, however, added that the US presidential election was not perfect, citing glitches that hounded polling places and recalling parallelisms in the Philippine election setting.

He cited incidents where precincts that opened up late were understaffed and had voters who found themselves unregistered. There were even electronic and optical scan machines "breaking down in some states, causing paper ballots to pile up."

Other lessons that Sarmiento saw were the power of young voters who made a difference and the modern technology that boosted Obama's candidacy.

He also said that the early voting led to shorter lines on election day especially in battleground states, the presence of the tri-media who kept the electorate informed about current issues, and the projection of potentials and capacities of the candidates.

Aside from these, Sarmiento said redefined moral issues and faith dimension were evident in the electoral campaign. In managing the electoral process, volunteerism among the adults and the young was impressive, he added.