Philippine Elections goes Automated

Despite the apprehensions, criticism and intrigues, the 2010 Automated Presidential Election is in full swing. We’re moving away from the flawed manual to electronic counting. The new system promises accurate and fast counting of votes.


Previous Philippine elections have been marred by massive fraud mostly in favor of the incumbent. The automated elections will also erase all the claims by the losers that they were cheated. I think it will greatly help heal the credibility issue of COMELEC.

I know that Filipinos can’t help themselves to lay claim and sometimes their claims are unfounded but it was said that the 2010 Presidential Election is the largest (in terms of scope) automated elections in Asia. An estimated 50.8 million Filipinos will go to the polls on Monday. Even Japan they is not automated. India did a partial automation in their last election were the Congress Party won the majority.

We could not please everyone so even before the automated election started, several politicians called for a parallel manual counting. They have several issues but the recent one filed by former President Erap Estrada was junked by the Supreme Court. Oldies don’t usually like change but if we don’t start this automation now, then when? We should at least try it before we say our judgment. Irresponsible parties are peddling lies and painting dark scenarios just to justify another People Power. The bad thing with People Power is that, we could install a non democratically elected person to power.

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We’re hearing reports that Poll servers were not well trained. They may have been trained but it takes a little computer knowledge to operate the machines. There were poll servers who wrongly inserted the flash cards. There were instances that machines wouldn’t work but actually they (poll servers) just failed to put on the plug. There were crazy instances that the poll servers were helpless on how to turn on the machines when in fact even a grade schooler could identify the minor problem. It also did not help that we have irresponsible media e.g. ABiaS CBN, The Philippine Daily Inquirer and sometimes, the Philippine Star. These Opposition mouthpieces cloak as journalist would make a mountain out of a mole hill.

Militants say that automation could pave way to e-Garci. Well, the Garci scandal was just blown out of proportion. There weren’t any evidence to convict Garci. If there weren’t any evidence then, all Teddy Casiño was saying is just an accusation or claim and would remain the same unless he can give evidence. Militants are already occupying the congress through the Party List System yet they haven’t done anything except to encash their CDF otherwise known as Pork Barrel.

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To my kababayan, let’s pray that the automated election will prosper. Don’t forget to vote for G1BO. If you don’t want to vote for G1BO, vote any other candidate except for AbNoynoy Aquino.