Philippine Automated Elections

Automated Elections
in the Philippines

The Beginning

It’s time for the Philippines to vote electronically. The election in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao last August 11, 2008 marked the beginning of the automated election in the Philippines. Thus used two voting technologies-Direct Recording Electronics (DRE) and (OMR). As the name suggests, DRE uses electronic ballot display that can be activated by the voter, processes data using computer program and transmits voting records electronically. James Jimenez, COMELEC spokesperson, 2008 said “With the new technology, the people of Maguindanao were more motivated to vote than ever before”. The success of the 2008 ARMM election brought the decision to automated system to the 2010 Philippine Presidential election. This is hoped to be a part of the legacy of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. This is also among the four plans of Comelec.

The Companies Who Beat the Bid

Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) called for bidding for the automation project with a Php 11.3 billion budget. The Smartmatic- Total Information Management Corp. joint venture beat several other companies with a bid of only Php 7.21 billion to secure the contract.

The Negative Responses

However, there are disapprovals and allegations with the poll automation. Legislators would block the signing of the contact between the government and the Smartmatic, questioning the identity of the Dutch firm. The Catholic Church, on the other hand, called Comelec to salvage the automation project and considered the Open Election System.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Claudio, presidential adviser for political affairs rejected suggestions that the automated project is used to prolong PGMA’s stay in power.

The Conflict of the Companies

On June 29, TIM, the Filipino company partner of Smartmatic Corporation decided to withdraw from the consortium due to the “irreconcilable differences”. They said Smartmatic will have more control over project operations. Lawyer Boy de Borja said “we should be the last one to do or not to do anything which will undermine every Filpino’s longing for clean and honest election through automation. The 60-40 law is a declaration. There’s a reason for it. We’re supposed to see to it that everything is done right. We have to maske sure that the integrity is absolute and beyond doubt.”

On the other hand, Cesar Flores, Smartmatic’s international sales director called on TIM to set right its shortcomings. He said “We are legally bound by this agreement to incorporate this joint venture.” According to him “TIM is basically complaining against a guideline set by the Comelec itself. It’s a requirement of Comelec in terms of reference that the company with the biggest experience in automation is the one to guarantee technology, software transmission and operation of election. In this case, Smartmatic is indeed, in charge of the operation.”

However, Smartmatic is still open to reconcile with TIM and was still committed to honor the automation contract with Comelec.

Comelec chairman Jose Melo has given the two companies until July 3 to settle their problem and sign the automation contract.

Former Comelec chairman Christian Monsod said the poll body is to be blame if the 2010 automated elections fail to push through, with the Comelec’s broad powers, it can dictate how the bidding and the automation should happen. He urged the Comelec to shun its belief that there is no other way but to stay manual if the automation fails to push through.

Meanwhile, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita got the assurance from Comelec Chairman Melo that the national and local elections will still push through even if plans to automate the voting system don’t materialize. He added that he is confident that Comelec will be able to handle the situation.

The Updates

On July 3, Comelec legal chief Ferdinand Rafanan hinted of a possible reconciliation between Barbados-based Smartmatic International and Filipino company Total Information Corp. (TIM).

"We have been doing so much hard work and prayers. Something good is going to happen," Rafanan said when asked if he has information about the outcome of the overnight meeting between officials from the Smartmatic and TIM.”

While Rafanan refused to confirm that the two companies have already reached an agreement, he said the rift between Smartmatic and TIM was a blessing in disguise.

If the two companies fail to reach an agreement, the poll official said the commission en banc will immediately meet to discuss three top options on how the Comelec should push through with the 2010 elections. Sarmiento said on top of the list is the possible partnership between Comelec and Smartmatic. Rafanan said that if TIM will continue to refuse to fulfil its end of the automation contract on Friday, the Comelec will immediately file charges.

However, at the same day, the tw o companies reconcile and able to thesh up things. Thus, they are back on track.

My Opinion

Everyone is praying for the successful, efficient, honest and credible 2010 elections.

How reliable can the computerized election be? Will it end the cheating, like that of Virgilio Garcillano? Or will just make the false election easier? The answer is already seen in the ARMM election.

The main point of having automated election is its great advantages that overwhelm its disadvantages. Americans once said “Change we need” so are we and this automated elections is part of that change.

Technologies are offered to bring the easiest way possible of our living so as with the election. In automated election or Smartmatic’s electronic voting, the speed of counting ballots is faster and can also provide accessibility for disabled. And the manual can’t offer that. This could also be secure, reliable and auditable. Electronics are the fastest way of recording. The automated election system (AES) proposed using appropriate technology for voting, counting, consolidationg, canvassing, transmission of election results and other processes. With this technology of automated election, it could be a good start of having clean, efficient, and fair election.

Is it reliable? If it’s the fastest and the easiest, the ability to falsify the votes would be clearly observed by the vigilant eyes of the people.If automated could only bring easy fake elections, then why did it succeed in ARMM? Will it end the cheating? Automated elections have the goal to minimize cheating. The poll body should be responsible enough to the credibility of the elections. It’s a shame if the Filipino politicians pay to the foreign company just to falsify the elections.


References:

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/07/03/09/fate-smartmatic-tim-partnership-known-noon
http://www.smartmatic.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartmatic
http://www.timcorp.net/main/index.php
http://ph.jobstreet.com/jobs/2009/6/default/80/2118535.htm?fr=J
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090629-213020/Comelec-could-take-over-automation----exec
INQUIRER.net
GMANews.TV
abs-cbnNEWS.com
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/06/30/09/tim-pinoys-should-have-more-say-automation-project