After manual Barangay, SK polls: Poll officers, public split on automation

CEBU, Philippines – The manual barangay and youth elections last Monday may have been a success despite some minor kinks, but election officials could not help but wish for automation in future elections.

Election officials interviewed by The Freeman prefer the automated election process to be implemented in the future.

Veronico Petalcorin, Commission on Elections (Comelec) 7 Acting Regional Director, believes that automation is way better when it comes to the canvassing process because it is faster compared to the manual counting of votes.

Lawyer Edwin Cadungog, Cebu City South Election Officer, agrees.

Cadungog stresses two main points why he considers automated election as an effective election process.

"Una, makawala man gud sa pagduda sa mga tao nga dunay tikas nga mahimo kung automated ang election. Ikaduha makawala pud sa tensyon sa mga tao nga mosaksi sa canvassing sa mga boto kay makina naman ang moihap." (For one, it erases doubts on the credibility of the results because machines do the counting. Secondly, it diffuses tension during canvassing.)

Jaymar Cantiveros, a 19-year-old student, said, "I like the automated election last May 2010 compared to the Barangay and SK election last Monday because it lessened the opportunity for cheating."

Also, Cantiveros added, results were determined faster last May compared to manual election process.

Irene Joy Tampus, a 20-year-old worker, also prefers automated election because she believes that the country should adopt a new system of electoral process.

"It's time we adopt the innovations of technology and make use of it," said Tampus.

For his part, lawyer Marchel Sarno, Cebu City North Election officer prefers the old way of counting.

"I believe that automated and manual election process have both advantage and disadvantage.

Mas ganahan ko og manual kay kung naay problema, ma-address man dayon sa atong local level unlike sa automated nga dugay pa kaayo," he said.

Jessa Romarate, a 26-year-old teacher who had served in two elections, also believes that the manual electoral process is better than automated.

"Mas dili kuti ang manual kaysa automated nga malangay ang mga botante og shade unlike sa manual voters will just bring their list and write it on the ballot," said Romarate.

She further stated that voters can change and erase their choice in the manual electoral process, unlike with automation, they could no longer change what they shaded.

Petalcorin and the rest of the authorities had assessed the recently concluded elections to be peaceful despite some reported tension and violence in a few places.

The success in the elections was also proclaimed despite the delay of the delivery of supplies, which gave headache to teachers and election officers. Poll officers in one town even had to make improvised ballots the day of the elections.

Cebu Provincial Election Officer Lionel Marco Castillano said he will send a report to their Central Office about what happened here.

"Karon pa man nahitabo nga one day before the elections nangabot ang mga balota," said Castillano in a television interview. (FREEMAN)