Gordon hits reward for poll machine hackers

MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Richard Gordon rejected yesterday the proposal of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano to set aside P100 million out of the P11.3-billion supplemental budget for poll automation as reward for anybody who can hack the poll automation system for the 2010 elections.

“I am not surprised (the proposal) came from Sen. Cayetano. It speaks for itself. We have to be serious in this country. Why did you not say that when you were a congressman? All those who are now against the (automation) bill were former congressmen,” said Gordon who is referring to Cayetano and Sen. Francis Escudero.

“They allowed the bill to be passed (when they were congressmen). Now the wind blows another way, they decide against it. One should make a stand. I think it is important that all politicians should remove their masks,” said Gordon, former chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments, Revision of Codes and Laws.

Escudero, the current chairman of the committee on constitutional amendments, has been casting doubt on the capability of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to effectively implement an honest poll automation process next year.

Cayetano defended anew his proposal, saying that his intention is sincere to ensure the integrity of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS).

“Sadly, Sen. Gordon is out of context and jumping to wrong conclusions. I have categorically stated that I support automation, that I believe in the integrity of the Comelec. However, what do we lose by testing the integrity and vulnerability to fraud of the proposed technologies to be used. Otherwise automated cheating might happen,” Cayetano said.

Cayetano said the “best viable way to erase fear and the most effective way to test if indeed a system is credible, reliable and tamper-proof or fraud-proof is to offer a sizable prize to whoever can hack and convincingly show the weaknesses of the system.”

Gordon has long been advocating poll automation.

Of all lawmakers, Gordon said Cayetano should have been the last person to question poll automation system because he (Cayetano) used election fraud in the 2004 elections as an issue when he ran for the Senate in the 2007 elections.

“He got elected for attacking the administration for cheating, and for corruption. Now he changes the rules of the game, anything to get the headline. That’s why I am not surprised,” Gordon said.

Gordon urged the public to be vigilant against cheaters or manipulators in next year’s elections. 

“Other countries can do it, why can’t we? Why not give automation a chance?” Gordon said.

“Why are we like that, every time we change something and say that it’s wrong at the last minute. That’s not right. We are senators and congressman (here),” he said.

Cayetano had earlier proposed that the Comelec allocate P100 million out of the P11-billion poll automation fund to be used as a reward to people who can hack the system to be used in next year’s automated elections.

“So let us not trivialize automation by just taking the word of suppliers. And I think there are enough open minds in the Comelec not to go against my proposal outright,” Cayetano said.

Cayetano said his critics should hear him out first before they criticize his proposal.

“They should even welcome the proposal to really assure our people that the integrity of the system to be used is air tight. We cannot afford another six years of political instability,” Cayetano added.

The proposal was reportedly intended to reveal the weakness of the system and establish that the automated system is not secure from fraud and tampering.

Gordon, however, said that the nation can never run away from a corrupt system of governance and could not move forward if significant changes, such as the improvement of the electoral management system, are always held back.

“Why can we not try to change the system? Poll cheaters already have PhDs (doctorates) in manipulating results under manual voting system. It is time we effect change,” he said.

“Trust and verify. We need to give the automated election system a chance but we have to keep an eye on it,” he added.

Gordon pointed out that “cheating scholars” would not get the chance to easily carry out their sinister plans of manipulating the elections under an automated system since it would be a different ball game with a new set of rules.

He also added that under the law, there are at least 16 minimum system requirements to ensure the integrity of the automated machine, along with transparency provisions in the bidding process for the procurement of the machines.