Press Release
February 17, 2009

CHIZ: AUTOMATION OF 2010 POLLS UNLIKELY

While the idea of having an automated election in the Philippines sounds laudable, given the country's history of cheating and violence during past polls, it is likely that next year's presidential contest will still see the use of manual counting and other outdated methods.

The Comelec has insisted that it will be able to ensure automation in 2010 so long as its proposed budget of P11.3 billion for this endeavor is released by April this year.

Last month, the House committee on appropriations approved House Bill 5715 granting a supplemental budget for the automated 2010 elections for the purchase of counting machines.

"If we are certain that the supplemental budget will be given to us on time, we can start the bidding process for the procurement of voting machines soon," poll body chairman Jose Armando Melo said recently.

But Sen. Chiz Escudero, who is also chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Automated Election System, has expressed apprehension that the Comelec may not have sufficient time to ensure full automation.

"I am not against poll automation per se. However, once purchased, these machines have to be tested. How can we be certain that there won't be any malfunction? We will be spending a lot for them and we surely do not want to waste our money. Plus, does the Comelec have enough time to train their personnel on how to operate them?

Escudero proposed that the Comelec first clean up the voters' list and allocate a portion of the budget for biometrics, the science and technology of measuring and analyzing a person's biological data such as fingerprints, hand measurements or voice patterns for verification purposes.

"There is also the need to consider the procurement process. The qualifications of suppliers have to be screened. We also have to consider the fact that losing bidders may engage in litigation. In my opinion, it may be good idea to first establish pilot areas where these voting machines can be tested and evaluated, and only then can we determine if it is indeed worthwhile to spend such a huge amount," Escudero added.

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