Melo to resign if poll automation fails
MANILA, Philippines (Update 1) - The chairman of the Commission on Elections on Wednesday said he is willing to resign if plans to automate the May 10 polls fail.
In an interview, Comelec Chairman Jose Melo said he will resign if the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines fail to deliver accurate election results and if the system gets hacked.
"Personally, kung kunwaring it's the fault of the Comelec, I will get out. Pagka may mangyari. I will not shirk responsibility," he told reporters.
He even joked that he would be willing to face a "firing squad" if poll automation fails.
Melo clarified that there is no agreement among Comelec commissioners that they will all resign should poll automation fail amid reports from poll watchdog Kontra Daya that there was such an agreement. "Wala kaming pinag-usapan na ganun," he said.
"Kung successful naman ang election, sila ba'y magre-resign?" Melo asked, referring to Kontra Daya.
"Huwag naman silang magre-resign. Pa-kapehin na lang nila kami." he added.
Melo has previously expressed confidence in Comelec and Smartmatic-TIM's capability to conduct the first nationwide automated elections. Commissioner Armando Velasco, however, said the poll body is ready to conduct manual elections for 30% of the country's voters as a contingency measure. (Read: Comelec ready for 30% manual polls, says official)
Metro Manila, Cebu ballots a priority
Melo said ballots for the country's most populous regions should be printed and shipped first in preparation for worst-case scenarios.
He identified Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao and other cities as those that should be given priority in ballot-printing. More than other areas, Melo said these "centers of population" should already be supplied with ballots in case something bad happens.
"You have to be ready for everything. What if the printer suddenly breaks down?" he said.
He also said other contingency measures should also be in place including the possibility of holding manual elections if there are not enough ballots.
"Just in case kulang yung balota natin doon na lang sa mga liblib na lugar, we will hold manual elections there," he said.
The Comelec chief said the poll body is preparing for any eventuality, adding that he is still confident the coming elections will be 100% automated.
Melo also announced that Smartmatic-TIM has bought one additional printer to speed up the printing of ballots. The production rate is currently at around 700,000 ballots a day.
Many Pinoys ambivalent toward Smartmatic-TIM: survey
Less than 3 months before the country's first nationwide automated elections, a big plurality of Filipinos remain ambivalent to Smartmatic-TIM, a consortium tapped by Comelec to provide precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines for the May polls.
A Pulse Asia survey conducted last January 22-26 showed that 41% of Filipino voters cannot say if they trust or distrust Smartmatic-TIM. On the other hand, 34% of the 1,800 respondents said they trust the consortium while 22% said they do not trust the group.
The Pulse Asia survey also showed that Comelec continues to enjoy the trust of 47% of Filipino voters, compared to 18% who distrust the agency outright and 34% who remain ambivalent.
Pulse Asia said overall trust ratings of Comelec and Smartmatic-TIM improved since October 2009 (+9 and +10 percentage points, respectively) while their overall indecision ratings decreased (-7 and -9 percentage points, respectively).
Forty-three percent of voters, meanwhile, said they trust poll watchdog Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting while 19% said they distrust the organization. Thirty-six percent of voters remain ambivalent about the organization.
The Pulse Asia survey used a probability sample of 1,800 adults. Pulse Asia’s nationwide survey has a ± 2% error margin at the 95% confidence level. Subnational estimates for the geographic areas covered in the survey have the following error margins at 95% confidence level: ± 6% for Metro Manila, ±4% for the rest of Luzon and ±5% for each of Visayas and Mindanao.
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resign lang?
resign lang? dapat Harakiri (no offense) kasi this is a serious matter lahat ng Pilipino involve sa pangyayaring ito, dapat isama na rin kung sino ang nagpasa ng batas para sa automated election dapat pinag-isipan ninyo itong mabuti hindi biro ang ginastos dito, pera ng mamamayan ang ginastos nyo dito.
However, lets see kung ano ang mangyari siguro naman hindi ninyo paguguluhin ang Pilipinas at huwag naman sana mangyari na pumalpak "baka" maging sanhi ito ng kaguluhan.
"COMELEC's Favorite Elected Candidate's Success"
Though we all both knows about the COMELEC and Smartmatic's Safety Poll Automation Orientation Trainings to every designated Regions whom Teachers and COMELEC's Officers in Charge of the Voting Centers are Implementing for Safety and Standard Training Seminars for the preparation of the coming May 10 2010 Poll Automation Election.It was clearly specified that the Systems Logistics are Sensitive that can never be cheated base in their on going Orientation Trainings they've Implement to every designated Regions.For Me,YES it is Clear and Sensitive.But,the matter that comes up to my poor Intellectual interest is what we are afraid for.That when the COMELEC has a Favorite Elected Candidate of their Regions.There is always a possibility that there is a Glitches or Signal Transmissions Signal Jammer Devices that could Block the Frequency Signals Transmissions to that Voting Center that could FAIL the Systems Logistics of the Poll Automation Machines(SIM).And,the Teachers have no more idea but to follow the Manual Election Return's Processing of that Region's Voting Center due to a meaning of MANIPULATION.And,that is what we are afraid for in this coming May 10 2010 Poll Automation Election preparation to prevent cheating manipulation this coming Election.
"COMELEC's Favorite Elected Candidate's Success"
Though we all both knows about the COMELEC and Smartmatic's Safety Poll Automation Orientation Trainings to every designated Regions whom Teachers and Officers in Charge of the Voting Centers Seminar Implementation Seminars.It was clearly specified that the Systems Logistics are Sensitive that can never be cheated base in the Orientation Trainings they've Implement.But,the matter that we are afraid for is that when the COMELEC has a Favorite Elected Candidate of their Regions.There is always a possibility that there is a Glitches or Signal Transmissions Signal Jammer Devices that could Block the Frequency Signals Transmissions that could the System of the Poll Automation Machines(SIM).And,the Teachers have no more idea but to follow the Manual Election Return's Processing of that Region's Voting Center....And,that's my poor intellectual interest are asking to condemn for Fair May 10 2010 Poll Automation Election not May 10 2010 Poll Automation MANIPULATION Election....
it's not a question of resigning
ganun ba ka-simple yun? mag-resign kapag pumalpak yung programa mo?! dapat siyang IKULONG kapag pumalpak ang automated elections!
the enemies of poll automation
the candidates know that successful poll automation will be hard to cheat, so the strategy of those who want to cheat is to sow fear, doubt, anxiety, and distrust. chairman melo knows the country's future is at stake and so he is willing to resign if poll automation fails. that kontradaya group, i believe, is up to no good. pinatulan nila yung negative vibes ng insiders sa national printing office about the security features ng ballots, eh hindi naman kailangan yung feature na iyon. kuryente. tumulong na lang tayo turuan ang mga voters na mag-shade ng ovals sa ballot. remind voters to bring kodigo with them na naka-lista na in alphabetical order ang surnames ng candidates na gusto nila. malinaw ang instructions sa balota. yung hindi marunong sumunod sa instructions ang mga problematic. hindi po bawal dalhin ang digicam o cellphone na may camera sa presinto, pero wag lang gamitin ito habang bumoboto.