Comelec chief welcomes probe on vote discrepancies

MANILA, Philippines - Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. yesterday welcomed any investigation into the reported discrepancies in the random manual count and the electronic results of the May 13 elections.

“It’s OK because that will even give support to us because that would validate the action of our Random Manual Audit Committee (RMAC),” Brillantes said.

He expressed willingness to provide all the information needed if the Senate will push through with the planned investigation into the alleged variances.

The only problem, Brillantes said, is that it usually takes a long time to complete the review or revalidation of the random manual audit.

Brillantes said he was just being transparent when he admitted to media that there were discrepancies in the manual count and the results of the precinct count optical scan (PCOs) machines.

The Comelec chief maintained that the reported discrepancies were expected and very minimal.

He said the Comelec is ready to cooperate, but he called on Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III to wait for the final report of the RMAC before starting their investigation so that there will be point of comparison.

“Based on our committee report let us see if they can see anything that needs to be corrected because our people underwent training for this,” Brillantes pointed out.

He said the final review would even pass through the RMAC headed by Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) chair Henrietta de Villa.

Pimentel reported that he intends to launch a congressional inquiry into the alleged questionable results of the RMAC.

The senator said he would ask for a copy of the report of the RMAC and conduct an independent audit. 

Concerning questions on the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Supreme Court in favor of disqualified party-list groups, Brillantes said they will respect and abide by the official order.

Brillantes said if there was an error committed by Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, the Comelec will just leave it with the SC. “

“We treat it as something unofficial. We cannot interfere with what is happening inside the Supreme Court,” said Brillantes.

There were reports that Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro called the attention of Sereno on the supposed deletion of the former’s recommendation that the TRO should only cover the petition of Senior Citizens and not other party-list groups. 

Malacañang joined calls for the Comelec to explain the reasons for the glitches during the May 13 polls to erase doubts on the credibility of the results.

“I understand that the variances or the discrepancies found in the random manual audit are, at this stage, partial; and we would like also to see the results when the full report has been finalized and is ready,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a press briefing yesterday.

“We do hope, given the interest of everybody in ensuring that the elections are credible and trustworthy and reflect the sentiments of the people, we also join in the calls to make the results transparent as well as the findings,” Valte said.

She stressed that the variances that were found were still, at this stage, partial and they would not want to make any particular comment until the final report is made public.

Valte said it would be up to Brillantes to answer all other concerns related to the polls.

Party-list lawmakers are seeking a congressional inquiry into the reported massive glitches, transmission failures, and other alleged violations of the automated election law.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares, vice chairman of the House suffrage committee, said the House should probe the alleged removal of the key safeguards including the source code review, the glitches and transmission failures of PCOS machines and the discrepancies on random manual audit.

He also proposed the junking of Smartmatic’s PCOS machines in the next elections.

Aside from Colmenares, the other party-list lawmakers who vowed to file resolutions seeking the congressional investigaton included Isagani Zarate of Bayan Muna, Luzviminda Ilagan and Emmerenciana de Jesus of Gabriela, Antonio Tinio of ACT Teachers, Fernando Hicap of Anakpawis and Terry Ridon of Kabataan.

“We have to get to the bottom of this. All efforts must be exhausted to find out if the automated election system was used for electoral fraud. What we are sure about is that the faulty PCOS machines must be scrapped and never be again used for the elections,” Colmenares said.

He said Smartmatic and the Comelec should be held accountable for violations of automated election laws and the unconscionable expenses for a defective and non-transparent foreign-controlled voting technology.

Meanwhile, Brillantes also admitted using intelligence funds for securing key witnesses and surveillance operations.

“It is used for intelligence, for surveillance, for confidential matters that involve security and public interest,” Brillantes disclosed after weeks of keeping mum on the controversy.

He said the poll body needs intelligence funds to secure witnesses who help the poll body in prosecuting poll violators, including former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who was charged with electoral sabotage.

The Comelec, Brillantes said, shoulders the cost of maintaining safe houses for the witnesses.

Last year, the Comelec took under its custody former Maguindanao provincial administrator Norie Unas, a witness against Arroyo.

Unas claimed that Arroyo directed then Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. to rig the results of the senatorial polls in Maguindanao in 2007.

Former Comelec commissioner Gus Lagman questioned last week the allocation of multi-million intelligence funds for poll officials without the need for liquidation.

Lagman revealed that he himself received P1.25 million worth of intelligence funds during his nine-month stint with the commission.

Poll watchdog Automated Election System (AES) Watch expressed strong suspicion that the Comelec is undertaking surveillance activities with them as one of the targets.

Brillantes denied the accusations of AES and even expressed willingness to cooperate in any investigation to be conducted into the Comelec intelligence funds.   With Paolo Romero, Aurea Calica