Business sector lauds move to junk manual counting bid

CEBU, Philippines - The business sector in Cebu favors the recent move of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to junk the proposed parallel manual counting in the upcoming May 10 elections.

“We already have the electronic capability on counting the votes, why not stick to it? The manual counting would only promote confusion and ultimately unrest, protest, and other un-desirable events,” said Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) president Sam Chioson.

Likewise, Cebu Business Club (CBC) president Dondi Joseph said that if the manual counting were implemented, then “who’s going to do it?”

He said a parallel manual counting would only make things complicated during the election, and runs contrary to the country’s decision to make a step forward towards embracing technology for a hassle-free election.

Significantly, Chioson said the Philippines should make this year’s election as smooth and peaceful as possible, as the foreign investment community are looking at it, and will use it as one of the gauges to invest in the country.

He added that whatever happens in the elections will have a great impact to the country’s overall economy.

A peaceful election could encourage more investors to invest in the Philippines but if things would turn awry during the elections, it would definitely turn off foreign investors from coming to the Philippines, Chioson said.

Moreover, he said if there is manual counting, possible differences of the results will still be verified, and it would take months before it will be resolved.

Both Chioson and Joseph lauded Comelec’s action to junk the parallel counting proposal, saying it would be good to trust the electronic counting.

Last week, the Comelec denied the proposed parallel manual count for national and selected local positions as it could open the electoral process to fraud and protests that could delay the proclamation of winners.

The unanimous decision was contained in Comelec Resolution 8834, promulgated late last week.

The full commission said a parallel manual count "would mean that the old vulnerabilities of a manual count and canvass will once again be present and exploitable... in seeking to ‘safeguard the credibility of the election results,’ the proponents... may actually end up opening the floodgates to dagdag-bawas [vote-shaving and -padding], thereby casting much graver doubt in the credibility of the election results than mere automation ever could."