No Turning Back Poll Automation

If plans do not miscarry and the administration is truly sincere in its pronouncements that there’s no turning back on the full automation of the 2010 elections, then it’s goodbye to poll cheating, intimidation or any form of electoral fraud, much less the so-called “dagdag-bawas” that has caused some of the worst poll frauds and wholesale anomalies ever perpetrated in an election anywhere in the world.

Let’s hope the system works and all the safeguards could plug the loopholes that for decades or centuries have plagued Philippine elections since time immemorial.

Filipinos are known the world over as a wise and smart operators in so far as electoral tricks are concerned. We hope this time, we can put a stop to all those shenanigans during the crucial balloting for the presidency down to the last city or town councilor and together, we can uphold the sanctity of the ballot and the integrity of free elections. It’s about time, really.

After the expected signing by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the P11.3-billion supplemental budget for poll automation as approved by Congress, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde had said the next step would be to ensure that the procurement of the election automation machines pass without hitches the test of full transparency.

In an interview over state-run Radyo ng Bayan, Remonde stressed that the “transparency in government procurement is really one of our principles, one of our programs, so therefore, any move to ensure that there will be transparency in the procurement, especially of... the machines for poll automation, ‘yun po talaga ang gusto ng Malacañang.”

“Yun po talaga ang gustong mangyari ng Malacañang,” he pointed out, adding that “insofar as the details are concerned, such as whether the procurement process should be televised or whatever, let us leave that to the implementing arm, the Commission on Elections (Comelec).”

“But as far as the principle of transparency is concerned, ‘yan po talaga ang nararapat - at dapat,” he said.

Asked what measures the Arroyo administration is taking to ensure clean and credible elections, Remonde said that’s the reason “why ang ating mahal na Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ay talagang nanindigan for poll automation.”

“Because, precisely, that is really one of the most important concerns of the President. Kasi nga yung 2010 elections, when it becomes fully automated, ma-minimize na yung mga irregularities (kaya) magkakaroon talaga ng honest, orderly and peaceful elections,” he said.

Remonde explained that “ang magkaroon ng modern elections ay isang adhikain ng Pangulong Arroyo na dapat suportahan ng lahat ng sambayanang Pilipino because that is central to our democracy.”

A fully automated elections will also end once and for all, the Philippine phenomenon where “after the elections, there are only two candidates - the winner and the (others who claim that they were) cheated.”

Earlier Saturday, Remonde called on the administration’s allies in Congress “to respect and consider the President’s position that we want full automation of the 2010 elections.”

He issued the appeal after some pro-administration solons proposed a “hybrid” type of elections using both manual and automated processes even after both Houses of Congress had passed the P11.3-billion supplemental budget for the automation of the presidential elections next year.

The Palace had announced that the President would sign the supplemental budget for the full automation of the 2010 presidential election once it is submitted to Malacañang. With it, let’s help insure that the elections Philippine Style would be truly authentic, credible and unquestionable this time.

Let’s keep it that way and forget what has taken place in the past where even the birds and the bees where said to have voted, including those who have long been dead.*