Automation to push through — Comelec

Voters in Manila, Taguig and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will cast their ballots in automated elections on May 10 despite a Supreme Court order voiding the computerization contract between the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and a private company.

The elections in other parts of Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be conducted without automated counting machines (ACMs).

Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos said yesterday Mega Pacific eSolutions has agreed to the poll body’s request to use its ACMs for free in Manila, Taguig and the ARMM.

"We are not irresponsible to do something we are not ready for," he said.

The Comelec went ahead with the selected automation to expose its employees to the use of ACMs and to allow Mega Pacific to show that the machines are not defective, he added.

Some party-list groups and people’s organizations have vowed to go to the streets in support of the Comelec’s plan to push through with the selective automation of the May 10 elections.

In a forum yesterday, party-list groups Assalam, Anak Mahirap, Batang Panday, ASAP, and MakaBansa called on the Comelec to ensure "a swift and clean conduct" of the elections, even if it means implementing partial automation.

Assalam nominee Jolly Lais said the poll automation in the ARMM would lessen if not deter vote buying, and help minimize poll violence and prevent ballot padding.

They believe partial automation of elections would benefit the country’s electoral process since the results would be more credible.

"Computerized elections would minimize all notorious forms of fraud caused by malicious human intervention," the party-list groups said.

Lawyer Ernesto Arellano, ASAP chairman, said more marginalized groups are calling for partial poll automation in the ARMM and some key cities in Metro Manila.

"We believe it is still a good start to begin modernizing our electoral process," he said.

The party-list groups said Republic Act 8436 requires that automated elections should start on May 10.

"(Opponents of partial automation are) highly insecure of, and are dead crazy with, winning the elections at all expense," the groups said.

The Comelec is intending to invoke a joint resolution by Congress, which lapsed into law last year, in pushing through with selective poll automation.

The joint resolution authorizes the conduct of automated elections in selected parts of the country.

The Comelec’s seven-man body will meet en banc this week to finalize the details of the planned selective automation.

Citing technical defects, the Supreme Court had voided the contract between the Comelec and the Mega Pacific consortium. — Jose Aravilla, Nestor Etolle