ASSIGNMENT 3


Fully automated 2010 elections in peril


MANILA, Philippines—The Commission on Elections may have to abandon its plan to fully automate the 2010 elections because of Congress’ delay in passing the P11.3-billion automation budget has compromised election preparations, according to Comelec Chair Jose Melo.

Melo said the Comelec is considering the idea of partially computerizing the 2010 polls as the delay in the release of the budget has considerably reduced the time to prepare for the country’s first-ever national computerized elections.

“We are really pressed for time. We are toying with the idea that it won’t be full capacity. Maybe we will automate 50 percent, not nationwide,” he said.

The Comelec had planned on fully computerizing the voting and canvassing of the 2010 presidential and national elections, as it is mandated by law.

Faster count, less fraud

Automating the process will also mean a faster count and less human intervention, which could lead to fraud, it said.

It asked Congress to pass the P11.3-billion supplemental budget for poll automation before legislators go on a break on March 6 to give the poll body ample time to prepare for the bidding for the machines.

But complaints and questions from the House of Representatives about the automation process has stalled the passage of the supplemental budget.

The Senate finance committee deferred the approval of the bill pending its final approval by the House. Both chambers are taking a month-long break beginning next week, and resume sessions on April 13.

Sen. Edgardo Angara, the finance committee chair, said it was likely Congress would pass the appropriations bill when it resumes sessions on April 13.

Malacañang on Thursday reminded legislators that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo wants to leave automated elections as her legacy amid concerns over the delayed passage of a budget for the process.

Racing against time

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Anthony Golez said the P11.3-billion supplemented budget for poll automation had been certified as urgent by Ms Arroyo.

Golez said that the strongest signal sent by the President to congressmen and senators to pass the measure was her certification of it as urgent.

“We hope and pray for the wisdom of Comelec and Congress to come to terms to achieve the goal,” he said.

The Comelec is racing against time to get the budget passed by April 12 so the contract can be awarded by May.

Melo said Congress should guarantee that the bill would be passed on April 13 as the poll preparations are already behind schedule.

He said there may not be enough time for the suppliers to order and configure 80,000 machines for the nationwide exercise if Congress passes the budget bill on mid-April.

The Comelec is also pessimistic that it can train enough technical people on time, the poll chief said

Is The Philippines Ready for an Automated Election System?


The computerized or automated election in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) scheduled on August 11, 2008 is being threatened by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). On the other hand, this article is not about politics in the Philippines. This is about the computerization of the Philippine election system.

Are Filipinos ready for automation? Let me give you some facts about the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) then give your thoughts if the Philippines is ready for an automated election system (AES) as mandated by law (RA 9369 - Automated Election Law):

The 2003 functional literacy survey of the National Statistics Office (NSO) showed ARMM as having the lowest basic literacy rate in the country, with 30 percent of its people aged 10-64 years old considered illiterate.
On a national level, one in 10 Filipinos can not read and write, according to the survey.
Ustadz Esmael Ibrahim of the Assembly of Darul Ifta of the Philippines said illiteracy in the ARMM is worst in Sulu, with 40 percent of its people unlearned.
In addition, according to reports, two voting technologies will be used in the ARMM elections - Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) in Maguindanao, and Optical Mark Reader (OMR) in Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi. More than 3,000 DRE machines and 156 OMR counting machines will be delivered to ARMM.

According to Comelec, “DRE uses electronic ballot, records votes by means of a ballot display provided with mechanical or electro optical components that can be activated by the voter, processes data by means of a computer program, records voting data and ballot images, and transmits voting results electronically.”

The automated ARMM election is a pretest to the 2010 Presidential elections in the Philippines. If this test succeeds, then for sure the Automated Election System will be used. If not, then maybe the Philippine government will consider going back to the “control” method which is the conventional election most Filipinos are used to or improve any weaknesses that will be identified in the implementation of the computerized election process.

This brings to mind the question, “How reliable can the computerized (automated) election system be?” knowing that anything electronic is much easier to falsify. Will the election finally put an end to the “dagdag-bawas” dilemma in our nation’s election results? Or, will the automation process make it much easier to fake election returns? Is the software in the machines in the automated election properly tested and proven bug-free? That we will find out after the ARMM elections. Let the “trial-and-error” in our election process begin on August 11, 2008.




By Kristine L. Alave, TJ Burgonio
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 06:03:00 02/27/2009

Filed Under: Eleksyon 2010, Elections, Computing & Information Technology, Congress, State Budget & Taxes, Politics




references:
http://www.jpsimbulan.com/2008/08/06/is-the-philippines-ready-for-an-automated-election-system/
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090227-191319/Fully-automated-2010-elections-in-peril