‘Kaninong anino ang nasa likod ng lahat’

MGA KAIBIGAN, pinagpapaliwanag si Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez at ang kanyang tanggapan kung bakit naging ganun ang desisyon sa kaso ng mga COMELEC officials sa pamumuno ni Chair Benjamin Abalos at ang Mega Pacific na nagsupply ng mga Automated Counting Machines.

Ilang araw (oras nga lang yata) ang ibinibigay Kay Ombudsman Mercy bago magdeliberat ang Korte Suprema tungkol sa kanilang desisyon.

May mga lumalabas na mga reports, balita, unconfirmed nga nang panig para sa may taong namumuno ng isang malaking kilalang organization na namamahala din ng unofficial counting ng botohan. Ito ay si Mr. Joe Concepcion ng Namfrel.

Ito kaya ay totoo Mr. JoeCon o pawang mga tsismis at hearsay lamang. Ayon sa nagbalita si JoeCon diumano ang nasa likod ng pagkukuha ng mga pirma ng mga associations katulad ng Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Management Association of the Philippines, Parish Pastoral Concil of the Philippines para banatan daw ang naging desisyon ng Ombudsman. Bukas ang "CALVENTO FILES" para sa isang balanseng pamamahayag.

Ang alam ko si JoeCon nuon pa man ay para sa Automated Counting para sa mabilis na resulta ng eleksyon lalu na sa National level.

Sa katunayan nakakuha ako ng dalawang email correspondence mula kay JoeCon. Ito ay ipinadala sa email address ng [email protected], mula sa [email protected] nung January 10, 2001.

Nais kong ipablish ng buo ang palitan ng sulat via email para mabasa ninyo.

Dear Joe,

I would first like to thank you for taking the time today to share your thoughts on how to best support the Philippines in its desire to automate the May 14 election. Your continued focus and dedication to this important goal is one we share together. For many years and especially over the last six months we have been trying to get our commitment to a quality election in the Philippines and need for a decision understood by the Comelec. Hopefully, with your continued support and advice we will now be successful.

During our phone conversation, you outline thoughts on how ES&S can best deliver automated election within the 2000 modernization budget. We had a meeting immediately after your phone call to discuss a new approach to meet your objective for a "Workable Plan". I wanted to outline for you our new solution but we will need one more day to address some open items. One of the areas you mentioned was the opportunity to use the 1,850 counting machines in Toronto. As we explore ways to revise our proposal to the Comelec, we will assume that you will manage the deliver of the Toronto counting machines to the Philippines and any requirements from Toronto or cost associated with the use and delivery of the machines will be your responsibility. We will propose preventive maintenance and firmware changes to ensure that the machines are ready to use on May 14. Please advice us if this is not an accurate assumption on our part.

In regards to your request for a visit in the Philippines, I would like your review of the new solution first. Then, we would like to make an appointment to present the new solution to both Chairman Harriet Demetriou and Commissioner Luzviminda Tancancgo. I believe we need their approval upfront to make a decision to move forward soon. If possible, we would like you to attend that meeting but if not, any support before and after our meeting that you can provide would be appreciated.

Going forward John Groh will be your contact for support and information. Please feel free to call me for assistance.

Sincerely,

Aldo Tesi

President and CEO

Election Systems and Software

SUMAGOT naman ang pinuno ng Namfrel na si JoeCon at ito ang laman ng kanyang email kay Mr. Tesi.

The machines supplier also informed us that they could quickly prepare the programming of the system in 2-3 weeks provided we know what we want.

May we reiterate our position that the use of counting machines and a new canvassing system as provided by law is still the best deterrent to election frauds such as dagdag-bawas. Our people have been waiting for much-needed reforms in our electoral process. This is our chance to prove to the world and to our people that we could rise above the challenges that we currently face in introducing these reforms.

The conduct of clean and honest elections through the use of counting machines and new canvassing process will be your lasting legacy to the Filipino people as you step down as chairman of Comelec in February next year. We believe that, with the courage and integrity that you have demonstrated in shelving the Voter Registration and Identification System (VRIS) project, the Comelec, under your leadership, will not disappoint the Filipino people by guaranteeing the implementation of the landmark electoral reform of using counting machines in May 2001.

We together with the over 120 business, civic, religious, professional and non-governmental organizations, will now be mobilized to support you in ensuring that the coming elections will be clean and honest.

Thank you very much.

Very truly yours,

JOSE CONCEPCION, JR.

National Chairman

Tugma naman ang "stand" ni JoeCon tungkol sa paggamit ng ACM’S subalit parang iba yata ang ihip ng hangin ayon sa ating mga sources ng hindi niya magustuhan ang pagka-award ng COMELEC sa MEGAPACIFIC ang pagbili ng mga makinang maaring magamit sa eleksyon. Kung natuloy ito di sana wala ng controversial "Hello Garci Tapes."

Inuulit ko ang ating paanyaya kay Mr. Joe Con kung gusto niyang magbigay ng kanyang pahayag sa bagay na ito.

PARA SA ANUMANG REACTION MAARI KAYONG TUMAWAG SA 6387285 o magtext sa 09213263166.

E-mail address: [email protected]