Sonza: Parallel manual count to compromise results of elections

MANILA, Philippines - Kilusang Bagong Lipunan vice presidential candidate Jay Sonza believes a parallel manual court would compromise the results of the May 10 elections.

Speaking to STAR editors and reporters Sonza said politicians advocating for parallel manual count did not attend the Commission on Elections briefing on the automated elections.

“These politicians do not know what they are talking about,” he said. “Instead of going forward they want us to go back to the old system?”

Sonza said he had religiously attended the Comelec briefing to know about the new automated system, and that he sees no problem with it.

“It’s actually manual voting but the counting is automated,” he said.

Sonza said lack of knowledge of the automated elections has caused critics to speculate on a possible failure of election and other imaginary problems.

Lawmakers advocating for a parallel manual count are raising the same questions already asked in Congress when they passed the law on automation.

“They passed the automated law and they want to go back to manual, it’s crazy” he said.

Among those who passed the law on automated elections are his rivals Senators Manuel Roxas II and Loren Legarda, he added.

Sonza said reverting to the manual count is a step backward, just like what is happening in Manila, a premiere city where the mode of transport is a pedicab.

“It’s a shame, a premier city in the country, but the mode of transportation is Kuliglig (pedicab)” he said.

It’s time that the country move with progress, not back to the time of the aborigines, Sonza said.

Lente backs Comelec

The Legal Network for Truthful Elections (Lente) backed yesterday the Comelec in rejecting a parallel manual count in the May 10 elections.

Christian Monsod, Lente executive committee chairman, said the Comelec arguments are based on valid legal grounds.

“I think the Comelec raised valid issues especially on the legal aspect,” he said. “The Comelec correctly pointed out that one must also look into the implications and consequences.”

The hand count would certainly lead to discrepancies because the appreciation of the Board of Election Inspectors would be different from the appreciation of the precinct count optical scan PCOS machines, according to the retired elections chairman.

Carlos Medina. Lente co-convenor, said the Comelec has no more time to implement a new process since elections are just a week away.

“It is almost sure that the two systems of counting would produce different results as the computer and a person have different appreciation of votes,” he said. 

Monsod said all stakeholders, including those pushing for a parallel manual count, must help the Comelec ensure that the automated elections will not fail.

“For now, we have to move ahead because it is only several days before the elections and we will deal with the accountabilities later,” he said.

“We, at Lente, will be at the forefront of finding accountability in this election.”

Lawyers, law students, and paralegals dedicated to the legal aspect of the elections comprise Lente, which has been accredited as one of the Comelec’s citizen’s arm in the May 10 elections.

Prove efficiency

MALOLOS CITY, Philippines – Nacionalista Party senatorial candidates dared the Comelec yesterday to prove the automated polls can be efficiently handled.

Senatorial candidate Susan Ople said the rejected parallel manual count is like a double edged sword that would be an additional burden to teachers serving as members of the Board of Election Inspectors.

“We agree with Comelec in junking the parallel manual count,” she said, but that Comelec must put in safe guards. Ople said a parallel manual count would lead to questions as to which count shall be official.

Senatorial candidate Ramon Mitra said a parallel manual count could lead to violence in some areas, especially if counts do not tally.

Mitra expressed hope that cheating could be eradicated in the automated elections.

“Hopefully, we’ll have a better, honest, accurate and meaning elections this time,” he said.

Cause of concern

IMUS, Cavite, Philippines – Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno Aquino III and his running mate Sen. Manuel Roxas II have expressed concern over the Comelec’s rejection of a parallel manual count of votes.

Roxas said it was important that the random manual audit of one to two percent of all the precincts be conducted to see whether the results being transmitted from the machines were accurate.

Aquino said it is “natural” to be concerned because allegations of fraud in the last presidential elections have remained unresolved.

‘Comelec must take blame’

Chairman Jose Melo and other Comelec commissioners must take the blame should the country’s first automated elections fail.

In a statement Simeon Marcelo, Philippine Bar Association (PBA) president, said Melo and Commissioners Rene Sarmiento, Nicodemo Ferrer, Elias Yusoph, Lucenito Tagle, Gregorio Larrazabal and Armando Velasco are principally responsible for “robbing our country, poor children and our children’s children of their future.”

“If the election fails or there is widespread fraud on 10 May 2010, these names will be forever etched in the minds of our impoverished and long exploited people,” read the statement.

“History will always remember with revulsion these names and those principally responsible for the failure of elections and/or widespread fraud, and the sufferings and hardships that it caused our people.”

“Surely the heavens above will forgive you but we doubt whether our long impoverished, exploited and deceived people will be as forgiving.”

The PBA also accused the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) of gross inexcusable negligence for opposing a parallel manual count.

“If it was indeed performing its duty as the people’s election watchdog, it should have studied very diligently the PBA’s proposal,” read the statement.

“Its non-endorsement only shows that it did not exercise the due diligence strictly required of it as an accredited election watchdog.” – Perseus Echeminada, Helen Flores, Dino Balabo, Aurea Calica, Edu Punay, Sheila Crisostomo