Press Release
January 16, 2008

Gordon to Malacañang: Computerize Elections before National ID System

Senator Richard Gordon remains firm on his stand that the government's proposal on the National ID system be placed on the back burner until the country's elections are computerized.

Gordon, chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments, Revision of Codes and Laws, insisted that computerized elections, backed by a 'paper trail', will remove the opportunity for electoral fraud, mysteriously empty ballot boxes and dagdag-bawas. It will also remove the waste of time, money and the international embarrassment of habitual challenges by election losers.

"Our right to vote, and to have those votes counted accurately is fundamental to our democracy and our freedoms. Without them, we cannot afford to have a National ID system introduced by a government whose mandate is in doubt" He said.

Gordon emphasized that he is not opposed to a National ID system: "It would enable government agencies to respond more efficiently to the needs of the people, and local governments to meet their obligations to the communities they serve. But it is first necessary to build credibility in the country's leadership by ensuring the validity of the elections. We must have that in 2010 and there isn't much time."

"If we are going to have a National ID system then we have to be sure that people's rights to privacy are respected. If we can't even have a trustworthy election, how can we trust the government that claims to have been elected?" said Gordon.

News Latest News Feed