Rufus urges Comelec: Purge 2 M ‘flying voters’

A Mindanao congressman urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday to purge at least two million “flying voters” from its voting registries.

In Resolution 432, Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said unless the voting lists are cleaned, the next elections in 2010 would again be marred by widespread irregularities.

Even the regional election in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in August would be tainted with irregularities if “dubious and fictitious names” were not removed from the voting lists, he said.

He said the efforts of Congress and the Comelec to pilot-test the poll automation project in the ARMM would be negated if the lists continue to be padded with unqualified voters.

Based on information he received from Comelec informants, Rodriguez revealed that there are at least two million dubious entries in the voting registries.

“These are names of voters who have died, transferred residences, have gone abroad or have multiple registrations. The numbers are staggering, and these can be used by unscrupulous people to tip the balance in favor of their preferred candidates,” he said.

He said previous elections have been marred by massive disenfranchisement of voters arising from multiple entries, entries of dead voters, vote padding, and vote shaving, among other anomalies.

“The scenario of another dirty election could be avoided if the Comelec will clean its master list before the next regular elections in 2010,” he said.

He suggested that the poll body prioritize the voters’ lists in the ARMM, where massive irregularities were committed in the 2004 presidential elections and in the election of senators, congressmen and local officials in May 2007.

The election results in the region are in fact being disputed up to now, he added.

Filing of COCs in ARMM moved

In another development, the Comelec has issued a resolution moving the dates for the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the Aug. 11 ARMM polls apparently due to delays in the selection of companies that will supply the voting and counting machines.

In Resolution 8443, the Comelec said candidates can file their COCs from May 28 to June 4. The original schedule was May 13 to 20.

The Comelec added that the election period will run from May 28 to Sept. 10.

The campaign period, on the other hand, is set from June 22 to Aug. 9, or two days before the actual election.

The calendar of activities for the ARMM polls was adjusted apparently due to the delays in signing up companies that will supply the direct recording electronics (DRE) and optical mark reader (OMR) machines.

OMR will be used in the ARMM provinces of Lanao del Sur, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan and Shariff Kabunsuan and the cities of Marawi and Lamitan, while DRE will be used in Maguindanao.

It was only the other day when the poll body was able to ink a contract with Avanti International for the supply of the OMR machines.

The Comelec had tapped Smartmatic-Sahi Technologies Inc. to provide the DRE machines.

The company will also supply the machines needed to canvass, transmit and consolidate the election results for the entire region. – With Sheila Crisostomo