The 2016 national elections are just around the corner. Soon, it will again be a time for electing our leaders. Of course, we citizens expect the Commission on Elections to improve the automated election process, especially considering the glitches and errors that attended the 2010 and 2013 elections.
Modern technology is upon our electoral system, but with some displeasure due to the reported high-tech manipulation of voting results in those elections. The precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines used then were said to be susceptible to programming fraud. The government bought the PCOS machines from Smartmatic.
Recently, Smartmatic was contracted to conduct the diagnostic assessment of the PCOS machines. This is now being questioned. A former Comelec commissioner alleges that the latest contract for diagnostics given to Smartmatic is a midnight deal. The Comelec, in defense, uses the patent rights of Smartmatic to justify the award of the contract to Smartmatic.
Why the government continues to do business with Smartmatic must be due to the fact that President Aquino is in his present position because of the automated system introduced by Smartmatic. This also has raised suspicions of election rigging to favor President Aquino’s anointed candidate for president in 2016.
Fortunately though, as of now, the “yellow army” has no viable and desirable candidate. It might be a good thing so we get to rid our country of vindictive public officials.
—GILBERT ASTUDILLO,
gilastud@gmail.com