We should not use the PCOS machines in 2013

Pres. Benigno “PNoy” Aquino, III still trusts his political adviser Ronald Llamas despite the fact that he already did a “strike two” to embarrass his administration. Again, this is proof that Pres. PNoy’s Kabarilan, Kaibigan and Kaklase (KKK) are beyond reproach. Incidentally, one fellow that defended Llamas was former UP President Francisco Nemenzo, another known leftist with strong ties to the underground, who, I learned, is also a close friend and adviser of Llamas. So we ask, if Pres. PNoy is getting advise from Llamas, does it mean that he is also getting indirect advice from Nemenzo? Hmmm it is getting curiouser and curiouser.

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I was watching last Wednesday night ABS-CBN’s Tech show called Future Perfect with Tony Velasquez who had as his guest Comelec Commissioner Lucenito Tagle, in charge of getting the automated machines for the coming 2013 elections. Gauging from that interview, it seems that Comm. Tagle isn’t really a technical person, when asked by Velasquez who were the potential bidders for the automated machines, he couldn’t even remember.

Comm. Tagle revealed that the deadline for the decision whether to purchase or lease these automated machines is in Feb.14. What we are seeing here is that the Comelec has apparently have decided that in the coming 2013 elections, they shall still be using the same or similar Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines that they used in the 2010 elections. It’s about time we accept the reality that the PCOS machines did not give us a digital signature that is mandated in the Automated Election Law.

The Comelec obviously has not learned their lessons that cheating via automated elections was more massive, harder to expose and most important of all did not reflect the true will of the electorate, gauging from the countless electoral protests all over the country. Check out the Tanggulang Demokrasya website and see their presentation on YouTube so you will know that this is a serious issue, which the victorious Aquino Regime has totally ignored.

Of course Pres. Benigno “PNoy” Aquino, III is in a sort of dilemma on this issue because his Vice-Presidential candidate, now Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas has filed a case against Vice-President Jejomar Binay, claiming that he was cheated in the 2010 elections. So clearly the 2010 elections weren’t spotless and all this is linked to the unreliable PCOS machines.

Now the Comelec will still continue using automated systems when the Comelec has not even come up to brief the public as to what went wrong in the 2010 elections? I hope our Congressmen would wake up and demand an investigation on this in order to bring out the truth. It is sheer hypocrisy that Pres. PNoy and the Comelec would file a case of cheating against former Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and totally ignore the massive cheating that happened to the 2010 elections which was the handiwork of Smartmatic?

Surely there has to be very valid reasons why Germany and India passed laws banning automated elections. Comelec ought to study this or at least Congress should look into this case. I understand that if we continue using automated election it would cost the taxpayers P8 Billion bucks… for computers that could be jimmied in order to favor a candidate who will pay the highest bidder. This at least deserves some kind of investigation.

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We wrote in this corner a month ago that the Liberal Party (LP) was turning into this generation’s Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) after all; our “weather-weather” political butterflies can easily change political parties depending on the political weather. But while this is happening elsewhere, in Cebu, things do not augur well for of the LP, especially when former Senator John “Sonny” Osmeña openly declared that he was no longer supporting LP gubernatorial candidate Hilario “Jun-Jun” Davide, III because he doesn’t have the leadership qualities that he is looking for.

Sonny O said, “Davide has failed to impart to the national LP administration, the importance of cleansing, we need an assertive and aggressive local leadership. Davide has shown to be passive, timid and insensitive as it was not his nature to assert.” Indeed Sonny O described the character of Jun-Jun Davide very well. Jun Jun is undoubtedly a very nice and amiable fellow. But yes, assertive he is not. Sonny O added, “With the style of leadership Davide has shown, the interest of the party will be best served by a new leader.”

Of course Rep. Tomas Osmeña doesn’t take Sonny O seriously. However, Tomas must tell us what happened between him and DOTC Sec. Roxas lest the rumors that he has already left the LP is true. Was it because the DOTC refused to prioritize the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) for Cebu City? Abangan!

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