Comelec asked to probe glitches, disenfranchised votes

   

MANILA, Philippines – Despite the fast transmission and tallying of results from the May 10 polls, election watchdog Kontra Daya Against Cheating said the countrys first automated elections were still “fraught with problems,” and called for an investigation into irregularities the group noticed based on its monitoring before and during Election Day.

Among the incidents that Kontra Daya urged the Commission on Elections Comelec to look into were the “faulty” compact flash CF cards on election day, which delayed voting and transmission of results; the failure of several Boards of Election Inspectors BEIs to use the UV lamps to verify the authenticity of the ballots; the actual number of reported disenfranchised voters; and reports of malfunctioning PCOS machines.“We are issuing these recommendations based on the monitoring work we did before and during the May 10 polls,” the group said in a statement on Sunday.

via INQUIRER.net.

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Enrile: We won’t sacrifice accuracy for speed in canvass

MANILA, Philippines – Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile assured the public yesterday that Congress will guard the integrity of the results of the canvassing for the votes of president and vice president.

“We will not sacrifice accuracy for speed,” Enrile told radio station dzBB in an interview.

Enrile said he and outgoing Speaker Prospero Nograles have agreed to move the canvassing a week earlier from the original May 31 schedule to May 24, when Congress convenes as a national board of canvassers for the canvassing of votes for president and vice president.

Via Phil. Star

Nograles to Comelec: Don’t pay Smartmatic yet

MANILA, Philippines – Speaker Prospero Nograles wants the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to withhold full payment to its automation contractor Smartmatic-TIM.

“Comelec should not fully pay Smartmatic for the automated elections until such time as the Congress Joint Oversight Committee can give the public a clean bill of health about the first automated polls,” he said.

Nograles said Congress would require Smartmatic to reveal if it sub-contracted the supply of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines to other companies.

Via Phil. Star

Untested equipment raises questions about poll results accuracy

   

Some election equipment were untested and uncertified, raising questions regarding their ability to produce accurate results, a watchdog said, citing a Commission on Elections Comelec Technical Evaluation Committee report.

Among those that were not submitted for testing and certification included central, back-up central, and election system DNS domain name system servers, including one for the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas KBP, the Precinct Count Optical Scan PCOS modem firmware, the ballot production tool, and the public website, the group Kontradaya said.

Also known as a “phonebook” for the Internet, the DNS assigns domain names on the internet and identifies associated networking equipment and locates these devices worldwide.

via GMANews.TV.

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Poll source code has flaws, says IT expert

MANILA, Philippines – There are several flaws in the source code being used for the automated polls, an official from the Computer Professionals Union (CPU) and Kontra Daya said on Monday.

A source code is a set of human readable instructions that define what a computer will do.

“Erroneous programming on the database can lead to serious problems in data corruption and integrity,” said Rick Bahague of CPU and Kontra Daya. “Transmission of data is not always encrypted and this can be exploited to manipulate results.”

Via ABS-CBN News

NP bares irregularities in PCOS machines

MANILA, Philippines – Alleged irregularities in the testing and sealing of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines have been discovered by the camp of Nationalista Party (NP) standard-bearer Manny Villar.

In Muntinlupa, for instance, Villar’s name could not be read by the poll automated machines, NP spokesman and senatorial bet Gilbert Remulla said over the phone on Monday night.

“When the result came out after the voting, walang Villar na lumabas [no vote for Villar was counted]. Our team members voted but their Villar vote did not appear,” Remulla said.

Via Inquirer.net

AND: Comelec to place areas in 7 provinces under its control

Briefly…

   

‘Poll watchers getting advance pay in GMA district’

LUBAO, Pampanga , Philippines – Liberal Party (LP) re-electionist Gov. Eddie Panlilio urged yesterday the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to investigate reports that his gubernatorial rival has been paying advance salaries ranging from P1,500 to P4,000 monthly to people who will act as poll watchers in the second district of Pampanga, where President Arroyo is the official congressional candidate of Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

“I urge the Comelec in Pampanga and Central Luzon to check out reports that my fellow gubernatorial candidate, Mrs. Lilia Pineda, and her campaigners at the Lakas-Kampi-CMD are doing a massive recruitment of poll watchers beyond what is allowed by election laws,” the Pampanga governor said in a statement yesterday.

Panlilio said that a “first batch of poll watchers have been designated as barangay coordinators” and have been required by the Pineda camp to recruit 10 poll watchers each.

via Phil. Star

Rival seeks Ate Vi’s disqualification over oversized posters

The political rival of reelectionist Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto on Monday sought her disqualification over her supposedly oversized public service announcements placed all over the province.

In a five-page petition, former governor Armando Sanchez’s lawyer Ferdinand Topacio asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to disqualify Santos-Recto because her oversized posters clearly promote her candidacy.

“Ito po ay higanteng billboard na kasing lalaki po ng mga bahay, kasing lalaki ng mga gusali at pinapalusot po nila na public service ngunit obvious na obvious po na ito ay para sa kandidatura ni Gov. Santos-Recto (These are gigantic billboards the size of houses, the size of buildings, and they say that it is for public service when it’s so obvious that it is for the candidacy of Gov. Santos-Recto),” Topacio told reporters after filing the petition.

via GMANews.TV.

16-M votes from Bangon Pilipinas supporters—Yasay

MANILA, Philippines – “We will win,” Yasay confidently told ANC’s Headstart on Monday.

Yasay is the runningmate of Bro. Eduardo “Eddie” Villanueva who founded the religious group Jesus Is Lord Movement.

Yasay said somebody who wants change must win this election. “Change must happen, and it will only happen if you love God.”

via ABS-CBN news

Suspected NPAs harass LP bets in Capiz over unpaid campaign permits

ROXAS CITY, Capiz – Fifteen armed men believed to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA) disrupted a political caucus of the Liberal Party (LP) in Mambusao, Capiz, last Thursday, belated reports reaching the Capiz Police Provincial Office showed.

The reports disclosed that an armed man went up the stage in the hall of Barangay (village) Cala-agus, and grabbed the microphone from the master of ceremony.

The unidentified man announced that they were not allowing the holding of a caucus in the village due to the LP’s lack of permit to campaign (PTC), a safe conduct pass for a candidate to campaign in rebel-infested areas.

via Inquirer.net

Kontra Daya accuses Palparan of threatening leftist bets in Makati

The Kontra Daya Movement on Monday accused senatorial candidate and retired Major General Jovito Palparan of having a hand in the death threats mailed to some militant candidates in Makati city.

Kontra Daya convenor Mike Lopez Sr. told GMANews.TV that based on Palparan’s track record, the retired colonel is “capable” of “intimidating” leftist candidates to discourage them from running, and supporting senatorial candidates Liza Maza and Satur Ocampo — party-list representatives who are linked to the New People’s Army.

“[Palparan is] the only one who has the motives,” Lopez said, adding that Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales could have possibly given the Palparan the blessing to execute such actions.

Via GMA News.TV

Disqualification of 6 party-list nominees sought

Two groups on Wednesday sought the disqualification of several party-list nominees for allegedly failing to belong to marginalized sectors they intend to represent in the House of Representatives.

Those requested to be disqualified were Sheryl Genuino-See, Johnny Tan, Lamberto Barbin of Batang Iwas Droga (BIDA); Teodorico Haresco and Eugenio Jose Lacson of Kasangga; and Eugenio Insigne of Agapay ng Indigenous Peoples Rights Alliance Party-list’s (A-IPRA).

The disqualification cases were filed by multi-sectoral poll watchdog Kontra Daya and Katribu Indigenous People’s Sectoral Party.

Click GMANews.TV.

Study: Lack of voting time to disenfranchise voters in May

In an interview with GMANews.TV, Prof. Giovanni Tapang of the University of the Philippines’ National Institute of Physics said he had simulated the voting process using a programming language package called the Simulation in Python SimPy.”We get results showing that more than half of the 1,000 voters lining up at the clustered precinct will not be able to finish by 6 p.m,” Tapang said.

An image of the computer simulation showing that 11 hours will not be enough to accommodate 1,000 voters at each clustered precinct. — Photo courtesy of UP Prof. Giovanni TapangVoting on May 10, 2010 will begin at 7 a.m. and will end at 6 p.m., or a total of 11 hours. The Commission on Elections expects 50,723,734 voters to flock to 76,340 clustered precincts nationwide on May 10.

Click GMANews.TV.

Probe sought on 6 party-list groups

In a letter to Comelec Chairman Jose Melo, Kontra Daya said Agbiag Timpuyag Ilocano Inc. Agbiag, Babae Para sa Kaunalaran Babae Ka, Youth League for Peace Advancement Lypad and Kalahi Sectoral Party Kalahi would “bastardize” the party-list system if allowed to run on May 10.

In a memorandum dated Oct. 16, 2006, Malacañang’s Office of External Affairs said these party-list groups must be supported, the letter added.

Kontra Daya said Adhikain ng mga Dakilang Anak Maharlika ADAM was formed by Energy Undersecretary Zamsamin Ampatuan, while the Binigkis na Interes ng mga Drayber sa Adhikain Inc. Bida was founded by Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. chairman Efraim Genuino.

Click Philippine Star.

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Be fair, government tells observers

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang urged yesterday local and foreign election observers to be fair in their assessment of the country’s first nationwide automated elections on May 10.

Deputy presidential spokesman Gary Olivar also advised the poll monitors to be aware of and abide by regulations set by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

President Arroyo last week encouraged international and local groups to observe the country’s first-ever nationwide automated polls that she considers one of her legacies. She, however, vowed to “stay out” of the elections.

Click Phil Star

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Voters’ list in May polls ‘padded’ by 5 million – watchdog

At least five million voters have been “padded” to the more than 50 million listed for the May 10 automated elections, a multi-sectoral poll watchdog bared on Tuesday.

In a phone interview with GMANews.TV, Kontra Daya lead convenor Archbishop Oscar Cruz said that not all of the 50,723,734 registered voters are real. “The estimate of all voters registered combined is padded . . . the list of voters is padded by five million.”

Cruz said he got the information from a “well-respected” former commissioner of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Click GMANews.TV.

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Even Jinggoy ‘blind’ on electronic elections

Estrada said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) should step up its information campaign, with only about two months left before the May 10 national and local elections.

He said he himself would seek a “briefing” on the nitty-gritty of the automation process to add to his basic knowledge about the manner of casting his vote.

He believed the information campaign had not been adequate. “Other people in remote barangays, they don’t know about this automated election,” he said.

Click Inquirer.net

High court ruling on resigned appointive execs appealed

MANILA, Philippines—Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal on Monday asked the Supreme Court to clarify its decision stating that an appointive official shall be deemed resigned upon filing of a certificate of candidacy.

In an 11-page motion, petitioners Eleazar Quinto and Gerino Tolentino through Romulo Macalintal asked the high court to harmonize and reconcile the provision of Section 13 of the Automated Election Law which provides that a person who files his CoC “shall only be considered as a candidate at the start of the campaign period for which he filed his CoC” and another provision which says that an appointive official running for an elective post shall be ipso facto resigned at the start of the filing of his CoC.

Click INQUIRER Politics.

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Comelec told: Remove Bida party list from May polls

MANILA, Philippines — An election monitoring group urged Monday the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the accreditation of Batang Iwas Droga, or Bida party list group in the May 10 automated polls.

Kontra Daya convener Fr. Joe Dizon said Bida should not have been accredited for the 2010 elections because the group “was government-sponsored and initiated by Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) Chairman Ephraim Genuino.”

Dizon cited the 2001 Supreme Court decision in the case of Ang Bagong Bayani-OFW Labor party versus Comelec, which states that a party list group “must not be an adjunct of, or a project organized or an entity funded or assisted by, the government” and “must be independent of the government.”

Click Inquirer

Comelec: All ballots with security marks

MANILA, Philippines— (UPDATE) The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday said all ballots it ordered printed, including the 1.7 million for use in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), have the necessary security markings and are fit for use in the May elections.

Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal made the statement in a radio interview, in reaction to a Philippine Daily Inquirer report quoting Archbishop Oscar Cruz, Father Joe Dizon of Kontra Daya, and other sources which said that the ballots for ARMM did not have the government-mandated markings of the National Printing Office (NPO).

Click INQUIRER.net.

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Remaining 13,500 poll machines to arrive this week — Comelec

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday said that they are expecting the delivery of the remaining 13,000 poll machines, which would be used for the May automated elections, said Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal.

Larrazabal, who chairs the steering committee on automation, said that the 13,580 units of the Precinct Count Optical Scan-Optical Mark Reader (PCOS-OMR), including the 6,380 standby units, are in transit to the country and are set to arrive February 26, two days ahead of the scheduled delivery deadline.

Click INQUIRER.net.