Showing posts with label Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. Show all posts

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Poll ballots printed on world's best machine

COMELEC Chairman Sixto Brillantes inspects Smartmatic's Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) with Smartmatic Asia Pacific President Cesar Flores and Atty. Himerio Garcia Committee Secretary during the presentation of the accuracy of the PCOS machines. [Joseph Vidal/Senate Pool/NPPA Images]
By: Kim Arveen Patria
Yahoo News


Friday, January 18, 2013

COMELEC scraps metal padlocks

By Jocelyn R. Uy
Philippine Daily Inquirer


MANILA, Philippines (19 Jan 2013) - The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is shifting from the use of metal padlocks to cheaper plastic seals to secure ballot boxes.


Monday, November 12, 2012

"Hello, Boy"

Marites DaƱguilan Vitug
By Marites DaƱguilan Vitug
THOUGHT LEADERS
Rappler.COM


ON October 31, the last day of voter registration, a crowd waited outside the COMELEC office in Santa Ana, Cagayan.  They were about 200 and they were beating the deadline; most of them, reports say, were employees of locators based in the Cagayan Special Economic Zone, a free port.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

COMELEC Union bewails Enrile's bullying of a poll employee

PRESS RELEASE
COMELEC Employees Union
November 5, 2012



THE rank and file employees union of the Commission on Elections today deplored Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile's mistreatment of an Election Officer in Cagayan province during the last day of voters' registration on October 31, 2012.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

COMELEC appeals for unity and cooperation of all election stakeholders

THE Commission on Elections (COMELEC) held a dialogue Thursday with various election stakeholders to thresh out any and all concerns with regard to the May 13, 2013 Automated National and Local Elections.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Senate OKs ARMM voter re-listing

By: Ron Gagalac

MANILA, Philippines (15 May 2012) - The Senate approved on 3rd and final reading on Tuesday Senate Joint Resolution No. 17, nullifying the book of voters in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and directing the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to conduct a new general registration of voters in the region.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Critics gang up on COMELEC chief over decision to use PCOS machines in 2013 polls

Chairman Sixto Brillantes, Jr.
By:  Christian V. Esguerra
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Friday, March 23, 2012

CRITICS, including losing candidates in the 2010 polls, on Thursday ganged up on Chairman Sixto Brillantes of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) because of his decision to reuse precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines in next year's elections.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Comelec finally admitted PCOS defective

SHOOTING STRAIGHT 
By Bobit S. Avila 
March 19, 2012 | Opinion
Last Friday, I was in the midst of a very important meeting when a friend interrupted our meeting to show us a texted report that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) finally approved the purchase of the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines.  My meeting had nothing to do with politics, yet a report like that was shocking enough for us in Cebu because of the incident that happened in the town of Compostela, 25 kilometers North of Cebu City where they didn’t have any town officials for 22 months, thanks to the PCOS machines that doesn’t know now to count!

Saturday, March 17, 2012

COMELEC decides to buy Smartmatic's PCOS

By:  Rappler Beta

MANILA, Philippines (15 March 2012) -  IT'S final.  After weeks of dilly dallying, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) formally decided to exercise the "option to purchase" precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines from 2010 automation vendor Smartmatic.  These will be used in the 2013 national and local elections.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

COMELEC own building to rise in Pasay City

By:  Mac Ramirez

As part of Commission on Elections Strategic Plan 2011-2016 (COMSTRAT1116), the Honorable Chairman Sixto S. Brillantes Jr. Will lead today the signing of the contract to sell and the groundbreaking ceremony for the lot where the COMELEC’s own Main Office Building will be constructed.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

COMELEC to get new home in Pasay


By:  Mayen Jaymalin
The Philippine Star, 13 February 2012

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is finally getting a new home after the poll body purchased a lot along Roxas Boulevard worth P1.2 billion where their new building would be built soon.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

COMELEC approves case against Sabio


9 February 2012

2010 ELECTION MESS AT 'BASURAHAN'

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has held former Cagayan de Oro elections officer Gina Zayas Sabio liable in connection with the mysterious dumping of election materials at the Carmen wasteyard in May 2010, ex-senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said yesterday.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

COMELEC, DOJ take over investigation of 2004 poll fraud


Chairman Sixto Brillantes, Jr.
By:  Sheila Crisostomo 
09 February 2012.

MANILA, Philippines - The joint panel of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) will assume the lead in the investigation on the alleged cheating during the 2004 national elections.

Monday, October 3, 2011

COMELEC presents high profile witnesses in 2007 Maguindanao poll fraud


The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) today presented fourteen (14) Election Officers and one (1) Computerized Voters List Technician (CVL Tech) from the Province of Maguindanao who were witnesses to large-scale election fraud perpetrated in the Province during the 2007 Senatorial Elections.


Also presented today is former Maguindanao Provincial Administrator Norie K. Unas, said to be former Governor Datu Andal Sr.’s right hand man. 

According to COMELEC Chairman Sixto Brillantes, Unas was “the person who stage-managed” the election fraud in the Province “upon instruction from the highest official of the land” at that time.

“The 2007 elections in Maguindanao was marred by an absolute commission of fraud and irregularity,” said Brillantes, who, with Department of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and COMELEC Commissioner Elias R. Yusoph, led the press conference this morning at the poll body’s Main Office.

Unas and the fifteen Election Officials and personnel submitted their respective Affidavits before the COMELEC, detailing their knowledge in election irregularities in the 2007 polls.

In his Affidavit, Unas directly linked former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her spouse former First Gentleman Atty. Mike Arroyo in 2007 Maguindanao election fraud. 

Unas, in his affidavit, said President Arroyo’s instruction to Datu Andal during a dinner meeting held at MalacaƱang Palace days before the 2007 elections was: “Dapat 12-0 sa Maguindanao, kahit pa ayusin o palitan niyo ang resulta.”

Unas also said that he was told by Gov. Datu Andal Ampatuan that, “Utos ni FG, kelangang 12-0 ang result sa Mguindanao… at kailangan walang makuhang boto si Cayetano.” 

He said this came after Ampatuan met with the former First Gentleman at the LTA Building in Makati.  Unas accompanied Ampatuan during that meeting.

DOJ Secretary de Lima, for her part, cited the significance of Unas’ testimony, saying that “this is the first time that a witness has direct personal knowledge pointing to the first couple” as alleged perpetrators of election fraud.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Poll workers stage nationwide streamer hanging to demand salary adjustment

Commission on Elections (COMELEC) employees in the central and field offices will be putting up posters and streamers calling for the adjustment on their salaries during their lunch break on Friday, September, 2011.



Under the auspices of the COMELEC Wage Fight! Alliance, a coalition of poll workers united in pushing for wage increase, the activity aims to “highlight the growing clamour of COMELEC employees for a substantial increase in our salaries.”


“Through the participation of COMELEC rank and file employees in all corners of the country (in the nationally coordinated streamer/poster hanging) we hope to be able to send a strong message that our call has reached the national level,” the group said.



Main Office
Palacio del Gobernad
According to the COMELEC Wage Fight! The calls for tomorrow’s activity include:
  • EQUAL WORK, EQUAL PAY!
  • ITAMA ANG SAHOD SA COMELEC!
  •  CORRECT THE UNJUST WAGE DISPARITY!
  • 3-5 SALARY GRADE INCREASE NOW!
OEO Daraga, Albay
Mac Ramirez, convenor of the COMELEC Wage Fight Alliance, explains that there is a “glaring disparity” in the salary schedule of COMELEC employees as compared to employees in their government agencies.

“The salary that we receive here in the COMELEC is not at par with those received by workers in other government agencies corporations, financial institutions and constitutional bodies.  The disparity ranges from three to five salary grade levels,” he said.

Legazpi City
Ramirez cited for example that a Clerk I position in the COMELEC only has a Salary Grade (SG) level 3, while in other government agencies the lowest SG level for Clerks is SG7.

Election Officers, which holds the sacred responsibility of supervising the conduct of elections at the ground level, are likewise victimized by this glaring wage gap according to Ramirez.

Camarines Sur
“They only hold an SG level 12 (for small electoral municipality) and SG 21 (for capital towns and cities); yet, considering their workload and actual responsibilities, the position of Election Officer is equivalent to that of a Division Chief level which has SG 24.”

POLL WORKERS TO SENATE: “RAISE OUR APPEAL FOR WAGE INCREASE TO BRILLANTES ON CA HEARING”

COMELEC Wage Fight Convenor Armando Mallorca, on September 8, 2011, presents to Chairman Sixto Brillantes the Alliance's position paper on the proposed salary adjustment of COMELEC personnel. Prior to this, COMELEC Wage Fight leaders (Mallorca, Mac Ramirez, Gel Gerardino) discussed our position with the Chairman. The Chairman was open to our proposal and has agreed to set a series of meetings to iron out our salary increase before 2012.
“The imminent increases in petroleum, transportation, toll and water costs more than justifies our appeal for a substantial increase in our salaries.  We hope that the COMELEC, under the leadership of Chairman Sixto Brillantes, would look into the deplorable plight of the COMELEC rank and file and grant our appeal,” Ramirez said.

In support for Nanay & Tatay
Concludes Ramirez: “As the Honourable Chairman is set to appear before the powerful Committee on Appointments next week, we appeal to the Senators to take on the cudgels for the COMELEC rank and file, and raise our demand for a substantial wage increase with Chairman Brillantes as he takes the hot seat for his confirmation hearing.” 

Monday, September 5, 2011

House OKs allocation of P8 billion for 2013 poll automation



MANILA, Philippines - The House appropriations committee has endorsed the allocation of nearly P8 billion for the automation of the May 2013 congressional and local elections.

The amount is 80 percent of the P10-billion 2012 budget of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The money will be for the purchase or lease of computer machines to be used in the casting of ballots and counting of votes.

They would be similar to the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines used in the May 2010 elections.

To save on cost, Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez urged Comelec officials to study whether the PCOS units they leased from Smartmatic, the poll body’s automation contractor, could still be used in 2013 with some safeguards.

He said the Comelec has already paid Smartmatic more than P6 billion and has the option under its contract to purchase the PCOS machines at a discounted price of P1.8 billion.

“If we can use those machines for 2013 and one more national election, we will be saving taxpayers at least P6.2 billion,” he said.

Comelec Commissioner Gus Lagman, who was against the use of PCOS in 2010 when he was a private information technology consultant, said it was not practical for the poll body to buy PCOS machines.

He said warehousing would be a problem, plus the fact that technology changes fast.

He added it would be better for the Comelec to lease instead of buying the machines it would use in 2013.

Rodriguez, a member of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET), said he, like Lagman, did not believe in PCOS when the Comelec was trying to convince lawmakers and the public about the technology.

“But now I am a believer. I saw how accurate the PCOS results were when we matched them with the actual count of votes in resolving election protest cases in the HRET. Because of their accuracy, we are now about to resolve all cases,” he said.

Because PCOS tabulation results were available at the municipal, city and provincial levels, Rodriguez said the nation knew in a few days that then Sen. Benigno Aquino III won the 2010 presidential election.

“Long before the official congressional canvass started, we knew President Aquino won. The Filipino people and foreign governments were already congratulating him. Election operators could not tamper with the PCOS. It would have been a different story if the old manual, cheating-prone system were used,” he stressed.

The lawmaker said that if the Comelec decides to use the PCOS, it should put in place additional safeguards since election operators and cheaters might have already studied how the technology works.

Besides the P8 billion in automation funds, the 2012 Comelec budget includes P123.2 million for the resumption of the system of continuing registration.

The poll body sought an additional P51.5 million for preparations for overseas absentee voting, but the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) gave the money to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

The Comelec intends to use the bulk of the funds for travel expenses since it would have to send teams to countries where there are large numbers of Filipinos.

The DBM transferred the money to the DFA apparently to save on cost.

COMELEC rushes preps for 2013 polls

To avoid further delay in the preparations for the 2013 elections, the Comelec pushed for the immediate convening of the poll body’s advisory council.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said there is a need for the newly created Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO) to immediately convene the Comelec Advisory Council and initiate the first step in election preparations.

“We need to move fast because we are already late (in our preparations) for the 2013 polls. We cannot move without the CAC,” Brillantes said.
Last June, President Aquino issued an order dissolving the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) and reorganizing it into ICTO under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

MalacaƱang named Louis Casambre as the executive director of ICTO. He will sit as chairman of the CAC with members coming one each from the DOST and the Department of Education, and another from academe, three from the IT industry, and two from poll reform groups.

The CAC shall have the function of recommending to the Comelec the “most appropriate, secure, applicable and cost-effective technology” to be used as the automated election system (AES).

“We want to start early and we already have a plan, the CAC should recommend the approval,” Brillantes said. – By: Mayen Jaymalin

Sunday, July 31, 2011

COMELEC Chairman Brillantes promotes early voter registration at LRT

Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Chairman Sixto S. Brillantes Jr. this morning rode the Light Rail Transit (LRT) to drive home the poll body’s call for the Filipino public to register as voters.

Brillantes was at the Recto Station of the LRT Line 2 Friday, 29 July 2011, to inspect the installation of COMELEC posters and streamers at LRT stations and terminals.

Saying that he wanted to personally talk to the commuting public, the 72 year old poll chief asked representatives from the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) if he could ride the LRT to return to his office in Intramuros Manila.

LRTA officials told the COMELEC Chairman that if he wanted to ride a train to the LRT Line 1 Central Terminal in Arroceros, Manila, which is the LRT station nearest the COMELEC Office, he would have to walk for about five minutes to reach the Doroteo Jose Station of the LRT line 1.

Brillantes gamely obliged, saying that he doesn’t mind the long walk as he misses riding the train.

Upon reaching the Doroteo Jose Station, Brillantes boarded a coach meant for females, children, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and senior citizens. He refused offers from people for the Chairman to take their seats.

“I wanted to personally tell the LRT commuters to register and register early. People should not wait for the deadline before they go to COMELEC offices to register,” Brillantes said.

“This is also a call for the public to patronize the LRT, not only because riding its trains are good for the environment, the LRT is also strong supporter of the Filipino people’s right to suffrage.”

Brillantes said that the LRTA allowed the COMELEC to post voter registration posters and streamers at all LRT stations and terminals.

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