WITH the approval of the House of Representatives, a supplemental appropriation of over P11 billion is now available for the planned automation election system for the 2010 general elections. According to Senator Edgardo Angara, the additional outlay for poll automation “will allow the country to conduct an automated national and local election and ensure an informed, free, orderly, honest and credible election that is reflective of the will of the Filipino electorate.” It, at all angles, will be most probably the test on whether an automated polling system can change the Philippines’ electoral process.
In last year’s ARMM elections, it was also proven that it was faster than manual counting, which is the usual practice. We may now set aside seeing the image of overworked volunteers, manually counting ballots, and ticking off numbers on a blackboard. As a country bent on globalization, the Philippines is now stepping into moving forward towards its right to vote—and how to do it accurately and efficiently.
However, we must remember that going high tech is just one aspect of choosing the best one to lead the country. Being able to decide wisely among the candidates should always be the top concern—clicking on a button is only secondary. (AJPress)
( Published on January 28, 2009 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. A8 )
