Showing posts with label Commission on Elections. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Commission on Elections. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

COMELEC: No plan to let poll fraud suspects off the hook

Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr.
By:  Jerome Aning, Marlon Ramos
Philippine Daily Inquirer


THE Commission on Elections (COMELEC) on Wednesday denied it was about to drop electoral sabotage charges against two former provincial election supervisors accused of rigging the 2007 elections but the Department of Justice defended the plan.

Supreme Court orders COMELEC to answer bid vs PCOS deal

By:  Marlon Ramos
Philippine Daily Inquirer


THE Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to file its comment to one of three petitions filed by various parties questioning the COMELEC's purchase of P1.8 billion worth of voting machines that were used during the 2010 elections.

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

Lawmaker urges manual polls in May 2013

By:  Kim Arveen M. Patria
Business World Online


MANILA, Philippines (20 March 2012) - A LAWMAKER has filed a bill which seeks to employ a manual voting system in the May 2013 elections, saying that the use of counting machines in the previous polls was "illegal and irregular."

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!

Monday, March 19, 2012

Group to file TRO against purchase of PCOS machines

By:  REYNALDO SANTOS, JR.

MANILA, Philippines (19 March 2012) - THE DECISION of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to purchase the 2010 election machines for the 2013 polls could reach the Supreme Court.

Plan to purchase PCOS machines ‘illegal, risky’

By:  Jerome Aning, TJ Burgonio

MANILA, Philippines (19 March 2012) - A poll watchdog said the Commission on Election's (COMELEC) plan to buy Smartmatic Corp.'s used Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines was "illegal" and "risky."

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.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Double voters' registration can be traced through the NLRV - Comelec


By: Robert E. Roperos
BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 17 (PIA) -- Voters who have registered more than once even in different places can now be traced by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) through the National List of Registered Voters (NLRV), a computer-based system whose centralized database is stored in COMELEC Central Office, Manila.

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.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Smartmatic: PCOS machines in perfect condition


By:  Sheila Crisostomo

MANILA, Philippines - Smartmatic International Corp. gave assurances that the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines used in the country’s first automated polls in 2010 are still in “perfect condition” and can be used again in next year’s elections.

In an interview last Thursday, Smartmatic president for Asia Pacific Cesar Flores said the machines are well maintained in the company’s warehouse in Laguna.

“There won’t be a problem with the machines.  They are in perfect condition,” he told The STAR, days after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced that they would again use the PCOS machines in the 2013 midterm elections.


Princeton scientists hack electronic voting machines

The Comelec has two options in acquiring the PCOS machines – to lease brand new machines through public bidding or to exercise the poll body’s “option to purchase” from Smartmatic.

Smartmatic was contracted for P7.2 billion by the Comelec to lease out 82,200 PCOS machines in the 2010 polls.  Of these, the agency bought 920 units for electoral protest cases while the rest were kept in Smartmatic’s Laguna warehouse.

The poll body however is in a quandary because it was given a measly P7-billion budget for the 2013 elections.  If Comelec decides to lease brand new machines, this will eat up P6.2 billion of the budget.

If the Comelec buys the 2010 PCOS machines, it will cost only P1.8 billion but some poll watchdogs and civic groups are wary of its condition while in storage and its alleged defects in the 2010 polls. They also questioned the security and accuracy of the machines.

But according to Flores, there is no reason to question the machines’ security and accuracy.

He added that the Random Manual Audit (RMA) conducted by the Parish Pastoral Council Voting (PPCRV) and the Comelec and the results of the recount proceedings for electoral protest cases being conducted by the poll body are “two validations” on the quality of the machines.

In RMA, the PPCRV and Comelec have randomly selected polling precincts where they audited the PCOS count against manual count.

In recount proceedings, on the other hand, the Comelec checks on the validity of an electoral protest case by comparing the poll results from 20 percent of the contested polling precincts with results when the ballots are manually counted.

Flores said the issues against PCOS machines had nothing to do with the technology.

“Many people are blaming the PCOS system on problems that were more procedural, managerial and even time-related or planning related.  They have nothing to do with the PCOS machines,” he maintained.

He cited for instance the disabling of the “ultraviolet (UV) rays capability” of the machines that prompted the Comelec to purchase handheld UV lamp scanners.


Flores said that if the timeline for the printing of the ballots was followed, this would have not happened.

The printing of the ballots at the government-run National Printing Office (NPO) was delayed for two months because the Comelec had extended the deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacy.

“The date to start printing the data was late so we had less time to print.  What happens when you print faster… you are injecting less ink in the paper.  What happens is the ultraviolet ink was not sufficient to be detected by the PCOS.  If we have more time to print, we could have, maybe, get up with a higher concentration of the chemical reaction or we could have printed slower,” he said.

Aside from this, Flores said that two days before the printing started, the NPO also insisted that its own security mark be included in the ballots, thus, further delaying the printing.

“We are being blamed for something we have zero fault,” he added.

Flores said since late 2010, the Comelec and Smartmatic have been working together to modify the PCOS system in preparation for the August 2011 regional election in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao which was shelved and synchronized with next year’s election.

“This was requested to us by the end of 2010, thinking about the ARMM election.  Changes were already implemented and these things have already been addressed by the Comelec and Smartmatic together,” he added.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

ARMM Voters Registration to Resume March 5

The system of continuing registration of voters and validation of registration records in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will commence on March 5, 2012 and will end on October 31, 2012, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) announced Thursday.

The COMELEC en banc, in Resolution No. 9338 promulgated January 25, 2012, ordered the resumption of voters’ registration in the ARMM in order to “give the Commission sufficient time for the conduct of pre-election activities and other preparations in connection with the May 13, 2013 elections.”

To recall, the COMELEC, September last year, deferred the voters list up in the Region which was originally slated to start on October 1, 2011 to October 31, 2012, “due to the pendency of the case questioning the legality of Republic Act 10153 on the synchronization of the ARMM elections with the May 13, 2013 National and Local Elections and in anticipation of the conduct of the ARMM elections at a later date.”

The Supreme Court has ruled on the legality of the synchronization of the ARMM elections with that of the May 13, 2013 elections, thus upholding the constitutionality of Republic Act 10153 and an Officer-in-Charge has already been designated in the Region.

Friday, May 6, 2011

COMELEC sets early voter's registration for 2013 polls

MANILA CITY, METRO MANILA — Starting May 3, new and eligible voters for the upcoming 2013 elections can start filing their applications, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said.

“We are urging all eligible first-time voters who will turn at least 18 years old on May 2013 to file their voter's registration this early.  Let us avoid last-minute registrations so we can take part in electing our nation's leaders,” said Comelec spokesman James Jimenez.

Deadline of registration is October 31, 2012 but the Comelec is encouraging early registration so it can prepare better for the conduct of automated polls with the use of special ballots, such as those used in the May 2010 national elections, he added.


Aside from first-time voters, persons who want to transfer registration records to a new residence; change, update or correct entries such as those for newly-wed women who changed surnames; and voters whose records were deactivated for failure to vote in the past two elections can also file their applications within the registration period.

All voter applications must be personally filed at the office of the election officer in the municipal or city office where the applicant resides and wishes to vote.

Voters no longer need to bring photographs because his or her biometrics records composed of a digital photograph, fingerprints, and signature will be entered in data capturing machines during the filing of registration.

The biometrics registration is important to purge the voter's list of duplicate registration records and to update records of voters who were unable to enroll their biometrics information with Comelec, according to Resolution No. 9149 promulgated on February 22.

Applications will be received from Monday to Saturday, inclusive of holidays during regular office hours from 8am to 5pm.  There will be no registration on December 22 to January 2 for the Christmas break.

Schedules for satellite registration in highly-populated areas will be announced after coordination with Comelec municipal and town offices.

Applicants must bring any valid school or government ID to register. Community tax certificates (Cedula) and certifications from the barangay will not be honored as valid identification documents.

For inquiries, contact the Comelec education and information department at (02) 525-9294. - By: Anna Valmero

Thursday, April 28, 2011

COMELEC employees welcome appointment of new poll commissioner Lagman

Members of the Alliance of Commission on Elections Employees in Service (ACES) on Wednesday welcomed the appointment of veteran IT expert Augusto "Gus" Lagman as the new Comelec commissioner.

“Though the ACES earlier hoped for an insider, Mr. Lagman’s appointment to the seven-member collegial body is certainly welcome news," ACES vice president for internal affairs Mac Ramirez said in a statement Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Malacañang announced that Lagman will be replacing retired poll commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer, whose term ended last February.

Ramirez said that Lagman's IT knowledge will be of "tremendous use" for the Comelec while it gears up for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) elections in August.

“We hope, however, Lagman wouldn’t turn-tail on his advocacy for transparency and credibility of the automated elections in the country now that he is inside the agency he helped keep in check for several years already," he said.

He likewise said he hopes the newly appointed Comelec official will also champion the welfare of the more than 6,000 Comelec rank and file employees nationwide.

“We urge him to also join us in our fight for job security, better working conditions, decent wages and in our democratic right to organize and negotiate with management concerning our welfare," Ramirez said. - Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMA News

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Commissioner Lim to focus on Electoral Reforms & Training of Election Officers

COMELEC Commissioner Christian Robert Lim
Newly appointed Commission on Elections (COMELEC) commissioner Christian Robert Lim said he felt "overwhelmed" after his first en banc session but is challenged to do reforms in the electoral system.

In an interview on GMA Network's Unang Balita on Wednesday, Lim said his experience in the last elections showed him the kinds of reforms that he wants to implement in the Comelec, especially in the precinct level.

Aside from crafting resolutions, he said he wants to focus more on implementing what's already there, especially training election personnel and teachers to get them ready for the next automation elections.

He said the teachers and other election officers were not properly trained to handle the last automated elections, which made them panic when something went wrong.

"Mas importante 'yung training (for teachers and board of election inspectors) para wala nang duda kung may nangyayari sa eleksyon (Training teachers and board of election inspectors is more important so there's no more doubt when something happens in the next elections)," he said.

Lim was part of the legal and anti-fraud group of President Benigno Aquino III's Bantay Balota in the May 2010 elections.

But he quickly dismissed speculations that his appointment is a payback for helping out Aquino in the presidential campaign, stressing his new job is actually a "sacrifice."

In the same television interview, Lim admitted he was surprised when he found out he was appointed, jokingly adding that he thought it was an April Fools joke.



On Monday, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte announced that Lim will take the post vacated by Gregorio Larrazabal, who retired in February. 

Lim said he submitted a résumé because he wanted to work for government, but he did not have any position in mind. Lim also said he did not know who was behind his endorsement. 

He added that he felt sad about having to leave his private law office so soon.

Lim will serve in the poll body until February 2018 if his nomination will be approved by the bicameral Commission on Appointments. — Candice Montenegro/RSJ, GMA News

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

New poll commissioner denies plot

Commissioner Christian Robert Lim
MANILA, Philippines - The newest commissioner of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) denied Tuesday his appointment has anything to do with preparations by former Senator Mar Roxas for an election bid in 2016.
Lawyer Christian Robert Lim was asked this question in his 1st press briefing before the Comelec media on Tuesday.

Lim said he only talked to Roxas once, and that was when the former lawmaker called to congratulate him for his appointment.”But besides that he wasn't able to talk to me in terms of plans for 2016. It's all speculative.”

Lim was a lawyer for Roxas and President Aquino, as well as the Villaraza, Cruz, Marcelo and Angangco law firm, which has known close ties to Roxas.
“I used to be an associate employee.  I don’t know who pushed my papers if that helped. I'm grateful to those who helped me.”

Lim will serve till February 2, 2018, 2 years after the 2016 presidential elections.

The new commissioner is still surprised at his appointment, saying he feels overwhelmed now that Comelec Chairman Sixto Brilliants has started to give him an orientation on his new job.

“Till now medyo na-overwhelm pa ako to think si chairman brought me up, made me sit in en banc to know dynamics of commission. It's still a learning process.”

Lim said he only submitted a resume, and that he was informed he was being considered. However he didn’t see his name in any shortlist reported by media.

He said he feels now is the time to serve government after turning down previous offers to join government.

Lim is aware of the comparisons between him and his predecessor, lawyer Gregorio Larrazabal. “Mas gwapo siya," he said.

Like his predecessor, Lim said he is also fond of electronics.

Lim is now focusing his energies towards preparing for the regional elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. “Mukhang tutuloy  yung ARMM elections. We hope we can refine the automation process (and) use it to further showcase automation," he said.

Lim will serve with the 1st division, led by Commissioner Rene Sarmiento.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Voter Registration and Validation to Start on May 3, 2011 instead of April 1


RESOLUTION NO. 9168
 IN THE MATTER OF THE RESETTING OF THE RESUMPTION OF THE SYSTEM OF CONTINUING REGISTRATION OF VOTERS IN THE NON-ARMM AREAS, FROM APRIL 1, 2011 TO MAY 3, 2011.
Promulgation: 22 March 2011


WHEREAS, Resolution No. 9149, promulgated on February 22, 2011 entitled “Rules and Regulations For the Resumption of the System of Continuing Registration and Validation of Registration Records in the Non-ARMM Areas”, provides that the system of continuing of registration of voters for non-ARMM areas shall resume on April 1, 2011 and end on October 31, 2012;
WHEREAS, in order to expedite the distribution to the field offices of application forms to be used in connection with the resumption of the system of continuing registration of voters, the Commission promulgated on March 02, 2011, Minute Resolution No. 11-0268, delegating to the Regional Election Directors of the non-ARMM areas the authority to procure said application forms for use in their respective area of jurisdiction;

WHEREAS, to afford the Regional Election Directors with sufficient time to procure the application forms, and deliver the same to the offices of their respective Provincial Election Supervisors, there is a need to reset the commencement of the system of continuing the registration of voters in the non-ARMM areas;
NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of the powers vested in it by the Constitution, Omnibus Election Code, Republic Act No. 8189 and other election laws, the Commission RESOLVED, as it hereby RESOLVES, to reset the resumption of the system of continuing registration of voters in the non-ARMM areas from April 1, 2011 to May 3, 2011.
Let the Education and Information Department cause the widest dissemination of this Resolution, and its publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation of the Philippines.
SO ORDERED.
 (Sgd.) SIXTO S. BRILLANTES, JR.
Chairman
(Sgd.) RENE V. SARMIENTO
Commissioner
(Sgd.) LUCENITO N. TAGLE
Commissioner
(Sgd.) ARMANDO C. VELASCO
Commissioner
(Sgd.) ELIAS R. YUSOPH 
Commissioner

Friday, February 25, 2011

COMELEC to Congress: Decide early on ARMM polls postponement


Chairman Sixto Brillantes, Jr.
Saying it is doing a delicate balancing act, the Commission on Elections appealed to Congress Monday to decide early on whether to postpone the elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao scheduled for Aug. 8.

In a radio interview, Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said they stand either to waste some P2 billion in preparations for an election that will be postponed, or scramble at the last minute for an election that will turn out to proceed as scheduled.

"Siguro mapapakiusapan ni Presidente and I hope mapapakiusapan ang leadership ng House na ma-postpone. Ang hingi lang namin bilisan nang kaunti. Ang Senate is another issue. Tingnan natin kung mabibilisan nila ang pag-postpone," Brillantes told radio dwIZ.

(Perhaps President Benigno Aquino III can persuade the House of Representatives to act early to decide whether to postpone the ARMM polls. We only ask that the process be accelerated. The Senate is another issue. We hope to see the moves to postpone the elections move quicker.)

He cited concerns raised earlier by some lawmakers and officials involved in the peace process that holding the ARMM elections now may negatively affect the negotiations.

Brillantes said peace negotiations between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front may touch on the possible expansion of the ARMM.

A conflict may arise if the negotiations lead to changes in the areas covered by the ARMM, but only officials of provinces covered by the present ARMM are elected if the elections push through as originally scheduled on Aug. 8.

Included in the ARMM are the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and the Islamic City of Marawi.

House bill

At the House of Representatives, Lanao del Sur Rep. Pangalian. Balindong filed House Bill 3542 that seeks to reschedule the ARMM polls to coincide with the May 2013 mid-term elections.

"There is a chance the area covered by the ARMM may expand because of the peace process. Some sectors have thus proposed that we postpone the ARMM elections and synchronize it with the May 2013 elections. In the meantime, the terms of the incumbent ARMM officials can be extended," Brillantes said in Filipino.

Brillantes said he made a courtesy call on Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile last week, where he asked the Senate to decide early whether to postpone the ARMM elections.

"Pinakiusapan ko lang magkaroon ng postponement sa House, pakiusap namin sa Comelec bilisan lang sa Senado para di tayo mabitin sa preparation. Kung gagastos na tayo, gagastos tayo sa preparation. Pag na-postpone at tumagal ang postponement, baka malaki na rin ang nagastos natin sa preparation. Gusto natin maaga ang announcement na ma-postpone na para di gumastos masyado at ma-minimize natin ang gastos," he said.

(After I asked the House leadership to make its decision early, I asked the Senate to do the same so we can prepare well. If we are to spend for the preparations, we should do so wisely. We need the announcement to come early so we will not waste funds)," he said.

He said Enrile did not make any commitment but will monitor developments on the debates on the matter at the House of Representatives.

"Di siya nag-commit sa akin. Pero sabi niya tingnan natin pag may postponement sa House and it will go up the Senate, pakikiusapan niya na bilisan ang decision kasi kailangan namin malaman (He made no commitment but said that if the House decides to postpone the elections and the issue goes up to the Senate he will fast-track the decision)," he said.

P2B for ARMM polls preparation

In the same radio interview, Brillantes said the Comelec has set aside P2 billion for the ARMM elections. For now, he said it has spent nearly P50 million for the Aug. 8 polls.

"We don’t want to pay millions, billions ang gastos dito. We’re preparing P2 billion ang gastos sa ARMM elections (We don’t want to pay billions. We are preparing P2 billion for the ARMM elections)," he said.

He said the bulk of the P2 billion may go to buying some 5,000 Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines worth P135 million, and their software and other “consumables."

Brillantes said they will likely buy the PCOS machines from Smartmatic, saying that when the Comelec leased 82,000 machines for the 2010 elections, it had the right to exercise an option to purchase.

He said the PCOS machines will cost only about 30 percent of the cost. — RSJ, GMA News

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