First automated polls may be game changer in RP politics, says Gordon

MANILA, Philippines - Bagumbayan presidential bet Sen. Richard Gordon said yesterday the country’s first automated election could be the “game changer” in Philippine politics.

“If it will work, everyone will say they were part of it.  But if it fails, they will blame me and the Comelec (Commission on Elections),” he said.

Gordon, who authored the country’s election automation law, earlier said he expected a few precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines to fail but stressed there would be no failure of elections.

Gordon and his wife, former Olongapo Mayor Kate Gordon, cast their votes at Precinct 41 at the East Tapinac Elementary School in Olongapo City at 10:33 a.m. yesterday.

Independent presidential candidate Jamby Madrigal kicked off her campaign in March at the Quiapo Church and ended by praying at the Sto. Domingo Church yesterday.

Madrigal and husband Eric Jean Claude Dudoignon Valade arrived at the Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City at 1 p.m. where she was blessed by Dominican priests Fr. Gerry Manlangit and Fr. Francisco Tuano before proceeding to St. Paul University to vote at precinct 1183.

On the other hand, independent presidential candidate and Partido ng Marangal na Sambayanan (Pangmasa) standard bearer Nick Perlas said while he was disappointed over the widespread “foul-ups” that marred the country’s first fully automated elections, he was still hopeful of an honest and legitimate election.

Perlas said the countless problems over the PCOS machines’ malfunctioning and the long queues tended to cast doubts on the integrity of the elections.

Ang Kapatiran Party presidential candidate JC de los Reyes and his wife Dunia were among the early   voters at the Nellie Brown Elementary school in West Bajac, Olongapo City.

JC, a councilor of Olongapo, voted at Precinct 1-A and took seven minutes to cast his vote.

Two hours after polling precincts opened yesterday, Bagumbayan vice presidential candidate Bayani Fernando and his wife Mayor Marides Fernando cast their votes at a gymnasium in Monte Vista Subdivision, Barangay Industrial Valley in Marikina.

They arrived at the polling precinct at 9 a.m. and finished voting in a few minutes without encountering any problems with the PCOS machine.   – Mike Frialde, Pia lee Brago, Rainier Allan Ronda, Perseus Echeminada, Michael Punongbayan