IT expert says electronic cheating report of ‘Robin’ was unlikely

   

MANILA, Philippines – The alleged electronic cheating disclosed by self-confessed election fraud operator “Robin” in the May 10 elections was impractical and unlikely, according to an Information Technology expert.

“Personally, I believe that the magnitude of the cheating that was exposed by Robin would not have been carried out within the time constraints that were available to them,” Pablo Manalastas of the Center for People and Governance (CenPEG) said in an interview on ANC’s Top Story on Thursday.

Manalastas further explained that cheating was “not practical” from the figures Robin gave during his interview with the media. According to Robin, their group has copies of the 15 million original ballots, and they transmitted their results to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) server before the actual PCOS machines in use in precincts and canvassing centers transmitted the results.

via ABS-CBN News Online Beta.

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Comelec to critics, ‘Koala Bear’: Enough is enough

MANILA, Philippines – Fed up with criticisms and allegations – that the elections will fail, that it is ill-prepared for automation, and very recently, that it is part of a grand conspiracy behind massive election fraud – the Commission on Elections (Comelec) gave its critics a stern response: “Enough is enough.”

“Are these the same people who said there will be failure of elections? Are these the same people who said PCOS [Precinct Count Optical Scan] machines wouldn’t arrive? Are these the same people who said we couldn’t print out the ballots?” Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal told reporters on Thursday.

“Their statements have all been disproven yet they continue to peddle lies. You have to stop already.”

Via ABS-CBN News

Smartmatic: 70,000 compact flash cards configured

   

MANILA, Philippines – The Smartmatic-TIM on Friday morning announced that it has configured 70,000 compact flash cards and it expects to finish configuring all cards needed for the May 10 automated elections before noon.

Cesar Flores, Smartmatic Southeast Asia president, announced over ANC’s Headstart that as of 8 a.m. almost 70,000 have been configured at their central warehouse in Cabuyao, Laguna.

“More than 60 percent are already out. They will be arriving between today and tomorrow,” Flores said.

via ABS-CBN News Online Beta.

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Vote-shaving possible in PCOS machines, poll watchdog warns

Contrary to the government’s assurance that “automated cheating” is virtually impossible, the glitches that occurred in recent precinct-level tests showed there is an easy way to shave votes from target candidates in the May 10 elections, a poll watchdog group said on Thursday.

In a statement, Halalang Marangal (HALAL) said votes can be shaved off certain candidates by making minor changes in the configuration of Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines that would be used to count and transmit votes during election day.

According to HALAL secretary-general Roberto Verzola, the current problem with PCOS machines is that there was a mismatch between the PCOS configuration and the ballot layout for local candidates, thus preventing the machines from accurately counting votes during pre-election testing last Tuesday.

Via GMANews.TV

Arroyo election lawyer sees no other way but to postpone polls

   

MANILA, Philippines—The election lawyer of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said there’s no other way to prevent a failure of elections but to postpone Monday’s balloting.

“Postponement of election is the only remedy to prevent a failure of election,” said lawyer Romulo Macalintal amid nationwide reports of vote machine glitches, fuelling fears the count could descend into chaos.Macalintal said the Commission on Elections is authorized under Section 5 of the Omnibus Election Code to reset the May 10 polls to a later date.

via INQUIRER.net.

EARLIER:

Comelec recalls faulty voting machine cards

MANILA, Philippines (AP) – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has ordered the recall of 76,000 memory cards to be used in the country’s first automated elections next week after some were found to be defective, heightening jitters over a possible failure of the new system.

The glitches just six days before 50 million Filipino voters elect a new president, vice president and officials to fill 17,000 national and local posts, prompted calls for a postponement of the election and renewed appeals for a parallel manual count of votes.

Philippine elections are notorious for violence and fraud, and many candidates and political parties have expressed fears of high-tech cheating.

Via Phil. Star

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No cellphone signals at nearly 5,000 precincts

MANILA, Philippines—Nearly 5,000 polling centers with 10,000 vote-counting machines have no mobile phone network coverage and will have to resort to satellite connections to transmit their vote tallies to the canvassing centers, according to a document from the Commission on Elections.

According to the Precinct Count Optical Scan master list obtained by the Inquirer, 4,690 polling centers have no cellphone signals from the country’s major providers, namely Globe, Smart, and Sun.

The rest of the precincts in the country either have signals from one or two functioning telecommunication networks, the list shows.

Via Inquirer.net

AND:

New glitch halts deliveries of PCOS machines

MANILA, Philippines – The deliveries of the remaining Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines in several parts of the country have been suspended after a new glitch was discovered during Monday’s testing in some areas in Luzon.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec), after meeting with poll equipment supplier Smartmatic-TIM executives, issued the suspension and recall order after receiving numerous reports that the machines failed to read the votes for local officials and did not match the manual count conducted by the Board of Election Inspectors.

In Zamboanga City, poll watchdogs said the problem might be a sign that the elections on May 10 will not be as flawless as Comelec had projected.

Via ABS-CBN News

Internal rigging’ fears aired

   

THE “greatest threat” to the May 10 automated election is internal rigging as it could take place before or after the elections, Christian Monsod, a former chair of the Commission on Elections, warned yesterday.

“It is possible to rig the (automated) system and for the elections, from all appearances, to appear free, fair and orderly,” Monsod said during Tuesday’s membership meeting of the Makati Business Club (MBC) and the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City.

He explained that internal rigging before the elections can take place “through a corrupted source code or the installation of a different source code in the PCOS (precinct count optical scan) machine, and after the election, through the transmission and during the canvassing of the votes.”

via Malaya

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Poll watchdog raises warning over spare PCOS machines

MANILA, Philippines – Where are the spare voting machines?

This was the question of election watchdogs, which raised fears that the spare Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines may be used to cheat in the May 10 elections.

In a letter to Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Jose Melo, the consortium Compact for Peace and Democratic Elections (Compact) voiced concerns on the safekeeping of the PCOS machines.

via INQUIRER.net.

AND: Ballot template soft copy to be deleted after printing to prevent replication

FVR says automated polls like a toilet system

   

•Hints its subject to PGMAs control

MANILA, Philippines – Former President Fidel V. Ramos virtually accused President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of being able to manipulate the country’s first ever automated election on May 10.

Speaking to media at the airport before flying off to open a Metrobank Branch in Nanjing, China, Ramos compared the country’s first ever nationwide automated election system to his modern toilet system in his Makati office.

Ramos said the toilet system, though modern, can always be manually overridden. He even showed pictures.

He said the automated election can always be changed to manual if the power supply is cut.

via ABS-CBN News Online Beta.

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Unprepared poll body worries lawyers

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines—Be on the right side of history, the oldest voluntary national organization of lawyers told the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as it expressed concern over the poll body’s lack of preparation for the forthcoming national and local elections.

In a statement, the Philippine Bar Association (PBA), through its president Atty. Simeon Marcelo, enumerated the problems plaguing the Comelec’s preparations to include: malfunctioning Precinct Count Optical Scan machines, lack of independent source code review, delayed printing of official ballots, controversies in the public bidding for the supply of indelible ink and ballot secrecy folders, use of unreliable logistics firms, lack of transparency in the canvassing of votes, lack of contingency/continuity plans, lack of an effective voters’ education campaign, and lack of a legal framework in case of failure of elections.

Via Inquirer.net

AND: Akbayan nags Comelec to disqualify Mikey

Namfrel to hold parallel count using shared returns

   

MANILA, Philippines—The National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) will use copies of election returns issued to political parties to conduct a parallel count of the May 10 results, according to its spokesperson Damaso Magbual.

Magbual, who also heads Namfrel’s membership committee, said one national political party and several local parties had agreed to share their copies of the election returns with the group.

He said Namfrel had sought the commitment of at least three national political parties to share their election returns with the poll watchdog.

via INQUIRER.net.

Poll watchdogs bicker over copy of returns

POLL watchdog People’s Comelec-Bantay Eleksyon 2010 (BE2010) yesterday criticized the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), the Comelec’s official citizens’ arm in the May 10 elections, for denying its request to provide it with a copy of the fourth copy of the election returns (ER).

The PPCRV is entitled to the fourth copy of ERs from all the more than 76,000 clustered precincts.

“It (PPCRV) does not plan to share the election returns with other civil society groups who may have a legitimate need for it…There is an increasing alienation of the PPCRV from other election monitors because of its closet and go-it-alone behavior,” the BE2010, in its report released last week.

Click Malaya

AND: Manual parallel count not banned by law, say IT experts

Comelec reminds bets against campaigning on Holy Week

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) reminded candidates Friday against campaigning during the Holy Week.

Comelec Resolution 8758 that outlines rules for fair elections practices states that “it is unlawful for any person, whether or not a voter or a candidate, or for any political party, or association of persons to engage on election campaign or partisan political activity on Maundy Thursday, April 1 and Good Friday, April 2,” said spokesman James Jimenez.

“Give yourselves [candidates] a break and make use of the Holy Week to reflect and ponder on all the promises you dished out during the campaign period and on how you intend to do them should you get elected in May,” he said.

Click Inquirer.net

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Comelec asked to take control of Masbate, Maguindanao

MANILA, Philippines – A poll watchdog body on Friday urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to put the provinces of Masbate and Maguindanao under its control following a spate of election-related violence there.

The Consortium for Electoral Reforms (CER) said the presence of communist guerrillas and the proliferation of warlords, private armies, and intense political rivalries in Maguindanao and Masbate were threatening the conduct of peaceful and credible elections there.

Through its initiative called Vote Peace, the CER said it has monitored 39 incidents of election-related violence nationwide during the January-March 25, 2010 period.

“Nearly every incident has fatality and most of these are election candidates, campaign operators, and security aides of candidates,” the Vote Peace report said.

Click INQUIRER Politics.

2 presidential bets face disqualification

MANILA, Philippines – Presidential candidates Sen. Richard Gordon of Bagumbayan Party and Eddie Villanueva of Bangon Pilipinas are facing possible disqualification for allegedly having oversized campaign posters and for displaying them outside designated poster areas.

“We took pictures of the posters, dismantled and submitted them to our legal department for appropriate action,” James Jimenez, Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesman, said.

He said the posters were displayed along ESDA, which is not among the common poster areas designated by the Comelec.

Click Phil. Star

Gordon, Fernando on big posters: Why single us out

MANILA, Philippines — Bagumbayan presidential candidate and Senator Richard Gordon called the Commission on Elections (Comelec) “unfair” after the poll body’s spokesperson warned that Gordon and his running mate Bayani Fernando’s billboards violated the size limit on outdoor installations in the Fair Elections Act.

Gordon criticized Comelec spokesman James Jimenez for being selective in his monitoring when other presidential candidates like Manny Villar and Gilbert Teodoro have put up much bigger posters and billboards in the provinces.

Sought for comment, Fernando said presidential candidate Noynoy Aquino also put up big posters in Tarlac.

Click Inquirer.net

Voting populations improbably high

MANILA, Philippines—The numbers don’t add up.The Commission on Elections Comelec recently revealed that there were around 700,000 double or multiple registrants on the national voters’ list.

But poll watchdogs and a statistician said the number could be higher, citing population figures from 2007 and the Comelec’s registration numbers as of March 2009.

Click INQUIRER.net.

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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Foreign observers say RP vote lacks transparency

MANILA, Philippines – Western election observers on Saturday criticized the Philippine government for “insufficient” openness as the country prepares to choose its next president with a new automated voting system.While it recognized that “substantial efforts” were being made to improve on previous elections, the US-based National Democratic Institute mission still urged the state poll watchdog Commission on Elections Comelec to do more to ensure that machines are fraud-proof and have adequate backup.

Click INQUIRER.net.

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Namfrel withdraws bid for Comelec accreditation

Speaking at a media briefing, [Jose] Cuisia said Namfrel would no longer pursue accreditation in time for the May 10 national elections.

Cuisia said Namfrel, the pioneer in parallel quick counts in Philippine elections, had given up on seeking the poll body’s recognition.

“It is obvious that the Comelec is not interested in Namfrel’s assistance,” he said.

Click Inquirer.net

Success of RP elections could herald automated polls in Asia

MANILA, Philippines—An international electoral watchdog is coming over to witness the country's first automated elections, and said the success of the polls could herald the coming of automated elections in other parts of Asia.

But on the other hand, the failure of the polls could erode the people’s confidence in the country’s election institution, according to the Asian Network for Free Elections (Anfrel).

Anfrel remains concerned about a repeat of the vote buying and voter intimidation that marred the 2008 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao elections, which it had observed, and said the country should learn from that experience.

Click INQUIRER Politics.

Namfrel can re-apply for accreditation — Comelec

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday said the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) can re-apply to be accredited as citizen’s arm in the May elections.

Its chances of accreditation will increase, said Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, if Namfrel can prove that the poll watching activities it will conduct will not duplicate those of the official citizen’s arm, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV).

The Comelec earlier denied Namfrel’s application because it had already accredited PPCRV.

Click ABS-CBN News Online Beta.

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Comelec to celebs: Why not help in voters’ education?

MANILA, Philippines – Instead of just endorsing candidates, maybe celebrities should consider helping the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in its voters education campaign.

Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal floated the idea on Thursday, saying that the “drawing power” of celebrities would “be shifting to high gear” the efforts to orient voters with the new system of filling the ballots and feeding them onto the machine.

The Philippines is having automated elections nationwide for the first time in May.

Click ABS-CBN News

AND,

Comelec urged to ratchet up info drive

MANILA, Philippines — The people’s lack of knowledge about the automated elections could lead to a challenge to the credibility of the polls, an official of the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections said Thursday.

Damaso Magbual, Namfrel spokesperson, said if voters fail to follow the proper procedures in casting their votes, their ballots could be spoiled

Click INQUIRER.net

Namfrel hits Comelec, accuses officials of partisanship

BY BERNICE CAMILLE V. BAUZON
Manila Times

The National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) on Tuesday has accused poll body officials of partisanship after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) denied its petition for accreditation as a citizens’ arm for the 2010 national elections.

In a statement that defined “partisanship as being critical of the administration,” Namfrel said the Comelec’s decision is a clear insult to its integrity and to its volunteers.

The statement further alleged that the two Comelec officials who pushed for the denial of Namfrel’s petition are partisan. However, it did not identify who these people are.

It then urged members of the poll body to set aside their preferences and unite in one goal, which is to conduct free and fair elections.

“You can deny us, but you can’t make us go away. For as long as the people seek truly free and fair elections, the light of Namfrel shall burn brightly,” the statement said.

“Why doesn’t the Comelec welcome the services of an experienced organization whose vigilance helps validate the results of the elections?” it added.

On Wednesday last week, the poll body junked the petition of Namfrel and its partner, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines – National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace (CBCP-Nassa), to be accredited as a citizens’ arm.

Comelec also alleged that some officers of the organization have questionable allegiance with certain political parties.

Comelec said that former Namfrel Chairman Jose Concepcion is a staunch critic of deposed President Joseph Estrada and an ally of former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino.

Being denied of accreditation as a citizens’ arm means that Namfrel will not be entitled to its own copy of the election returns normally used for a parallel count. But since the May 2010 elections will be automated, Namfrel’s intention as a citizens’ arm is to observe the random manual precinct audit.

Under the automated election systems, the poll body will allow for a random manual count in certain precincts to ensure that there will be no discrepancies on the voting results of the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines.

With over 500,000 volunteers—the youth, professionals, businessmen, religious, peasants, urban poor and labor—Namfrel prides itself of being the citizens’ eyes and ears in over 25 national and local elections beginning with the 1983 snap elections.

The poll body also said that it cannot anymore accredit Namfrel because it has already given its nod to the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV).

Both Namfrel and PPCRV were once headed by former Ambassador to the Vatican Henrietta de Villa.

De Villa, however, left Namfrel to focus her attention more to PPCRV. Reports said that there are misunderstandings between de Villa and Namfrel but both camps have denied such reports.

Namfrel said that even with Comelec accrediting PPCRV as one of its citizens’ arm, there is no cause for the commission to deny the organization of having more than one election watchdog.

“With the pervasive doubts lingering about a totally new untested system, isn’t it to the advantage of Comelec to have more than one watchdog, as it has done in the past? A watchdog that is ecumenical, broad-based and experienced in observing, monitoring and assisting in elections would help make this exercise much more credible,” the statement said.

It also said that it is only under Comelec Chairman Jose Melo that Namfrel was denied of accreditation. “Namfrel is bigger than any of the individuals that comprise it. It is bigger than the politics, excuses and officiousness of the powerful.”

It concluded that, “Come 2010 elections, the Namfrel volunteers will reunite, and together with CBCP-Nassa and other electoral watchdogs, mobilize our countrymen to vigilance once more.”

Namfrel was historically known for its role during the 1986 snap elections where more than 500,000 volunteers “offered their time, energy and even their lives, to preserve the sanctity of the ballot.”

Since 1984, Namfrel has been accredited by Comelec to conduct the Operation Quick Count, which, every election, was held in La Salle Greenhills in San Juan, Metro Manila.

Namfrel is now headed by Jose Cuisa Jr., former governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas from 1990 to 1993.

Noynoy supporters launch ‘Bantay Balota’

THE camp of Sen. Benigno Aquino III is strengthening its organized groups at the grassroots level to counter the massive political ads spending of rival presidential candidate Sen. Manuel Villar.

Supporters of Aquino and vice presidential candidate Sen. Manuel Roxas III yesterday conducted an Automated Election System Lecture Series also known as ‘Bantay Balota’ in a bid to capture 80 percent of the votes here in Cebu.

“To me, the challenge is to organize volunteer groups to show their focus on convincing others,” said former Social Welfare secretary Corazon Soliman.

Click INQUIRER Politics.

Comelec says no to Namfrel as citizens’ arm

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has dismissed the petition for accreditation of longtime poll watchdog National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) for the May elections due to “credibility” issues.

“We laud the efforts of the petitioner organization. We assume that Namfrel has all the best intentions in volunteering to be the citizens’ arm of this Commission (but) we could not help but cast doubts to Namfrel’s credibility and qualifications,” the Comelec en banc said in its resolution.

Click GMANews.TV.