Employees from various government offices launch “Kawani Kontra Daya,” a campaign against election-related fraud and violence, in Quezon City on Wednesday. The group vowed to expose practices that directly use public funds, resources, machineries and personnel in support of a particular candidate.(MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – The Commission on Elections will really have to print voting receipts for the May national elections.
This was after the high court affirmed on Thursday an earlier decision compelling the poll body to activate the voter verification paper audit trail feature of the vote counting machines.
In a media briefing, SC Public Information Office chief and spokesman said the tribunal voted unanimously to deny the Comelec motion seeking to reverse the SC’s March 8 decision.
Associate Justices Antonio Carpio and Lucas Bersamin were on leave, while Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta, who did not attend the oral arguments, did not leave his vote.
Responding immediately after the announcement, former Sen. Richard Gordon, who filed the petition, said the Comelec does not need additional time to just to activate the voter verification paper audit trail (VVPAT) and make changes in the machines’ source code.
“Hindi mahirap ayusin ang source code. Nagawa nila nung February 8 and 9. Pinalitan nila [ang source code] dahil may hindi nagtugma [sa machines]… Ginawa rin nila iyon noong automated elections noong 2010. Nadiskubre nilang may diperensiya. Nabilang at napalitan nila ang makina, 76,000. Napalitan lahat ng CF cards. Nakakagulat iyon. Kaya malakas ang loob ko na kaya iyan,” he said.
Gordon urged the media to find out why the Comelec has long been opposing the implementation of several security features for the elections, including digital signatures in the past polls, and the VVPAT for the May polls.
“Bakit ayaw nila? I beg of you—why don’t you ask them why they don’t want to implement the source code? Dalawang elections, hindi ipinapakita ang source code… Bakit pati itong VVPAT, ayaw nila?” said Gordon.
He said he wondered why Comelec was able to put up the on-screen verification feature for the machines despite being more expensive than printing receipts.
“Aba ay hmmm… mukhang may mahiwagang nangyayari,” said the former lawmaker.
He said he filed his petition only after the Comelec officially decided in February to forego with the receipts because that was the only time the issue became a “justiciable” one.
Gordon emphasized that the receipts that the Comelec would be printing have to contain a timestamp, ballot ID and precinct numbers.
“Otherwise, it is just a mere scrap of paper. O, kumain ka? O, eto ang resibo mo. Bakit walang date? Bakit ‘di nakalagay?” said Gordon.
During the oral arguments, Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, representing the Comelec, told the SC that the requirement for voting receipts would impose a “substantial unanticipated burden” on the poll body as well as on teachers manning the polling precincts.
Hilbay said that while printing receipts would result in a “marginal” improvement, it would still be burdensome and make the elections vulnerable to cheating.
Pressed by Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, Comelec chairman Andres Bautista said the poll body will do its best to make credible elections on May 9 even if it will be required to activate the VVPAT feature of the vote counting machines.(MNS)