FOR a country infamous for its “dirty politics,” conducting a peaceful and clean conduct of elections will be a challenge for the Philippine government. While the country’s polls have been automated since 2010, some Filipino voters still express concern over possible cheating in the general elections in May.
About four in every 10 Filipinos believe that there will be cheating in the May elections, according to the latest poll by Pulse Asia. The survey, conducted from Jan. 24 to 28, showed that an alarming 39 percent of the respondents are sure that candidates will cheat, while only 29 percent believed otherwise. 32 percent of those polled were ambivalent on the issue.
The same poll also revealed that seven out of 10 Filipinos or 65 percent said there will be massive vote-buying, 37 percent believe that there will be tampering of vote-counting machines. Others believe that there will be changing the actual vote count (32 percent) and the deployment of flying voters (31 percent) as forms of cheating.
Voters hoarding, replacing ballots inserted in machines, threatening other voters and election officers, machines being stolen and brownouts were also among the forms of cheating schemes that the respondents believe may occur.
For the May 9 elections to have a satisfactory conclusion, senatorial candidate Richard Gordon on Monday, Feb. 29, urged the Supreme Court to compel the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to issue receipts to voters after casting their votes.
In his 24-page petition for mandamus, Gordon cited the Republic Act 9369 or the Automated Election Law, which states that the Voter Verification Paper Audit Trail or VVPAT is one of the minimum systems capabilities of the automated election system and a major security feature of the vote counting machine. He explained that VVPAT allows every voter to confirm whether or not the machine cast the vote correctly based on the choice of the voter, thereby ensuring the integrity of the elections.
“The right to suffrage is a powerful tool placed in the hands of every Filipino giving them the ability to change the course of our country’s future. Therefore, it is essential that the sanctity and credibility of our election system be continuously protected from threats putting its results in question. In order for the system to be protected, it is essential that implementation of various security systems must be complied with,” Gordon said.
The Comelec voted 7-0 “not to enable the feature of printing a receipt,” deciding against using the VVPAT because it could be used as a tool for vote-buying and would also extend the voting period by seven hours.
Despite some doubts on the accuracy of the automated polls, the Comelec allayed fears of possible tampering of the May 9 elections with voters not getting a print out of their votes. Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista assured that there is no reason to worry because safeguards are in place even in the absence of printed record of votes.
Last week, the Comelec conducted mock polls to identify the possible problems that the Comelec may encounter during the actual transmission of votes in May. Bautista reported that the mock election would enable the Comelec to improve the system long before the scheduled May 9 elections.
Political reform in the Philippines is hounded by higher a public expectation. The growing cynicism in Philippine politics is like a cancer where a cure remains elusive. The stakes are higher in May, this makes it imperative to have empowered citizens who appreciate and are responsible for the votes they will cast.
To discourage people who will rely on cheating to win, Filipino voters must exercise the right of suffrage with tenacity and good cheer. They must realize the power that belongs to them, which is to choose the leaders they think are adequate to hold an office. It will strengthen their participation in this democratic process and trust in the system after this election. (AJPress)
