By Don Tagala
NEW YORK—The Philippine elections is only two months away, and noted businesswoman and community leader Loida Nicolas Lewis is worried. She recently went on a two-week personal observation of the election preparations in the homeland, and says she has serious doubts about the automated polling systems that will be used.
“I can just see danger in the rush to go to automation. I could see danger of failure of election and that’s not good,” Lewis said.
This is the very first time the Philippines will be using automated polling machines on a national election. But Lewis says election officials aren’t knowledgeable enough to use the machines.
“They (the Commission on Elections) are not teaching the teachers who are going to help the voting. They are not teaching anybody except their employees,” says Lewis.
With recent blackouts in many parts of the country, there are those who believe that this scenario is setting up for disaster. Rey Agunda of the Philippine Forum New York says, “Preconditioning yan eh. Nangyari na yan, kay Marcos nagawa ni Marcos yan di ba, it’s all history again and again repeating itself.”
Gary Labao of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan New York says, “We’re not ruling out the possible set-up that Gloria Arroyo is going to benefit if there is a failure of election.”
Despite these criticisms, some Filipinos still believe automation is a step forward. Akatito de Vera, a registered overseas voter, says, “Ang totoo po niyan ay kabutihan at sa loob po ng 24 oras ay yan po ay malalaman agad kung sino ang nanalo.”
“We are hoping and praying that the COMELEC will really be firm in its commitment to democracy, its commitment to clean and honest elections and that they will do all they can to make sure this first experiment of our country in automated elections will really be successful,” said community leader Victoria Garchitorena.
For overseas voters, mailed-out paper ballots are still in effect. But even this system is encountering problems, including COMELEC’s delay to send voter ID’s. But Consul Doy Ver of San Francisco says the Voter ID is a minor inconvenience.
“Overseas absentee voters were supposed to receive Voter IDs from the COMELEC, as part of their identification as voters. But the COMELEC is running into problems printing them out, so they have been temporarily suspended. Overseas absentee voters can still vote, even without the Voters ID,” Consul Ver said.
Ver says overseas voters will receive in the mail voting instructions along with their ballots. Philippine Consulates will accept mailed ballots beginning April 10. Ballots must be received by consulates by May 10, the election day itself.
Ver asserts the ballots will be counted manually in the U.S., beginning at 6pm on May 10, Manila time. Election observers will be present during the counting of the ballots, which will then be forwarded to the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C.
With additional reporting from Henni Espinosa
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