Has Comelec failed us again?

Many of the problems we face on electoral processes, failure of elections and cases of electoral fraud in the past can be a result of Comelec’s elusive ways.

The people who ran Comelec in the past and possibly in the present have clearly mastered that art of running it with ambiguity. This is why during every election period there is disorder, mismanagement and misunderstanding which have led our country to chaos, violence and even death. The only way for this commission to come out clean and get out of its abyss is to make sure that the top dog is clean, honest, strong with conviction and compassion for the country; and unattached to any political party or personality.

What is more essential is that, he or she should stay in power and be accountable for his/ her actions throughout the full term from the beginning to the end (preparation time to announcement of winners). The law should not allow the change of guards during the critical phases of preparation.

The basis of good governance is to establish proper infrastructure and framework to create a government truly worthy of what the Republic states in the preamble of our 1987 Constitution: We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God, in order to build a just and humane society, and establish a Government that shall embody our ideals and aspirations, promote the common good, conserve and develop our patrimony, and secure to ourselves and our posterity, the blessings of independence and democracy under the rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace, do ordain and promulgate this Constitution.

Imagine how this can be achieved if the first basis of selecting the people in government, through the Comelec, as an independent body, is full of questionable practices that is inundating the election process of the Republic?

From the time the Automated Election was legislated to produce honest and fair elections, Comelec has not been transparent and clear. The public’s justified perception of questionable decisions has not been properly addressed. Today, the new chief blames everything on the “lack of time.” I know they lack time. I know they are experiencing “time constraints” but why did they only act now? Why didn’t they act three years ago? Why did the commission allow this to happen? It may not be the fault of the new chief but it surely is a failure of Comelec.

Everything in Comelec must be systematic. Everyone working in Comelec must protect its sanctity. The current rules, guidelines and by-laws seem outdated. It has apparently broken Comelec. Why can’t the members be more efficient in the delivery of its service to uphold its reputation as an honorable commission?

The Comelec is our last hope for this nation. It will give us the Republic we deserve and which the people have created. As an independent entity, I feel that the commission has a tendency to abuse the function of accountability through legal avenues rather than improving the system and satisfying the legitimate technical solutions that automated problems are normally attended with. Why do I sense that they are hiding under the umbrella of legality when something goes wrong from their end?

With the Presidential elections just a few months away and considering the technical requirements of an automated process, it appears unfortunate that we are pushed to the wall with Smartmatic as the only available option if we have to comply with the election automation law. Knowledgeable critics have raised their concerns and questions on the alleged flaws of the Smartmatic PCOS and technology, which may defeat the will of the people on election day.

When the Comelec purchased the PCOS machines and technology of Smartmatic for the preceding elections, our options on election automation were apparently limited to the following: (i) BUY or LEASE new machines and technology from another service provider, which will not only be too costly, but will also put to waste our investment on the Smartmatic PCOS machines and technology; or (ii) USE the machines and technology earlier supplied by Smartmatic as a practical and less costly alternative, notwithstanding the questions raised on the integrity of these PCOS machines. As a result of the latter option, there is need to repair / refurbish some defective machines or buy again from Smartmatic. Before the term of then Chairman Brillantes expired, the Comelec entered into a repair/refurbishment contract with Smartmatic but the same was voided by the Supreme Court on some technical grounds. It appears that the contract was re-bidded but no supplier qualified, which prompted the Comelec to enter into a negotiated procurement with Smartmatic for the purchase of new machines because of time constraints. And now, because of “lack of time” the country is left with no choice but once again use an election technology riddled with deficiencies.

I just hope that experts in the Comelec and election watchdogs from the private sector could help in addressing expected glitches and problems of the Smartmatic automated elections. This is the most we can do other than being more vigilant in protecting the integrity of our election process.

Was the decision of the Comelec to purchase the PCOS machines from Smartmatic, instead of merely leasing the same, SMART? How about the additional costs of maintaining the air-conditioned warehouse to keep these delicate machines, a good number of which were not even preserved?

Up to this day, many continue to clamor because we know and feel something is wrong. Again, I ask: How can the Comelec be confronted with a “time constraint” issue when they know very well that elections are held every three years? This is such a shallow reason. The sad part of this Comelec accountability issue is the lack of support the community is getting from the three main branches: the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary. If every government entity will work this way and the people will just accept such behavior then surely this country is doomed. I rest my case.