The Daily Tribune
An ominous crucible was unveiled yesterday by Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr., raising the huge possibility of a reversion to a manual vote in the May elections on the first day of the national campaign period.
Brillantes admitted that the certification for the vital source code for the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines cannot be released in time as mandated by the Automated Elections law as a result of a legal brawl in the United States between PCOS supplier Smartmatic-Total Information Management and its software partner Dominion Voting Systems.
Under the Automated Election System law, the Comelec is required to submit the source code for review 90 days before the elections or by Wednesday, Feb. 13.
In an interview, Brillantes said plans are afoot in the event Comelec is forced to conduct manual elections.
Brillantes said,”we are reserving an order for the printing of new election returns and the ballots presently being printed can also be used in manual elections.”
Senators, however, said the Automated Elections Law does not provide for a return to manual voting.
The Supreme Court, meanwhile, did not issue an order to stop the Comelec from imposing its new airtime limits on political advertisements as sought by major television networks.
The high court, in its regular en banc session did not hand down a temporary restraining order (TRO) based on a petition filed by giant networks GMA 7 and TV5 against the new airtime limits imposed by the poll body. The high court, instead, asked the Comelec to comment on the networks’ application for TRO and the merits of the petitions.
The televisions firms have petitioned the Supreme Court (SC) to stop the Comelec from limiting television and radio airtime for candidates running in next May’s elections.
Brillantes said that only the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee (JCOC) can exempt the poll body from the requirement of the law. Most members of JCOC however are running for reelection and are busy campaigning making it difficult to muster a quorum.
Brillantes said that the source code has already been reviewed by Systest Labs Inc (SLI), an international certification agency commissioned by Comelec to conduct the source code review to determine if the software conforms with automated election system requirement, as spelled under RA-9369 or the Automated Elections law.
SLI is now in possession of the source code but cannot release it to Comelec unless Dominion will allow it. Dominion owns the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) technology licensed to Smartmatic. In 2012 it terminated its licensing contract with Smartmatic causing the predicament Comelec now finds itself in.
Brillantes said the legal tiff is a collection case involving $10 million which Dominion is claiming against Smartmatic. Dominion wants its money before it will release the source code.
“I talked to Dominion and suggested that, since Smartmatic still has a receivables with us amounting to about P400 million for the contracts we awarded them, we (Comelec) will place the $10 million in escrow until the case in Delaware is settled so that whoever wins the case can claim it- that way Dominion can be assured that the money is there and they can now release the source code to us. They said they will study our proposal”, Brillantes said.
While at that, Brillantes suggested the use of binaries as a contingency measure in place of the the withheld source code just so the automated elections will push through as scheduled.
Source codes are human readable instructions or software, while binaries are machine readable instructions.
“We will need to justify before the JCOC that this binary is as good as the source code, there is no difference between them actually”, Brillantes said.
“The other option is for the independent Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) to come up with a favorable certification , saying that even without the source code, the mock elections and the field testing were okay so everything is fine-we expect the TEC certification early tonight (Tuesday), Brillantes added.
The TEC is an independent body established under the Section 11of Republic Act 9369 tasked with the primary duty of “certifying three months before elections that the Automatic Election System, together with its hardware and software components, is operating properly, securely and accurately’”.
It is composed of a representative each from the Department of Science and Technology, Commission on Information and Communications Technology and the Comelec.
Asked if Comelec will not violate the law that mandates the use of source code, Brillantes replied, “why, has anybody seen the source code used in 2010? Has anybody questioned the results? Without anybody seeing the source code we conducted the 2010 elections. So what is the issue about the source code?”
“Everything is okay besides the source code. The deadline is tomorrow (Wednesday) if TEC says it okay, we will proceed even without the source code”, Brillantes said.
In separate petitions, GMA Network and TV5 asked the high court to issue a temporary restraining order and or writ of preliminary injunction against Comelec Resolution Nos. 9615 and 9631,on the matter.
“The aggregate airtime limits imposed by the Comelec in the new rules are so restrictive that they amount to a State-sponsored suppression of the right of the people to know their candidates, and the right of the candidates to bring across their qualifications and platform of government to the people, which are integral to the right of suffrage under Article V, Section 1 of the Constitution,” GMA network said in its petition.
“The consequent damage in the event that the new rules are not immediately enjoined is likewise clear, widespread, and irreparable,” it added, owing to the “the need of the voting public to be effectively and adequately informed.”
Lawyers representing GMA Network explained that an appeal through a clarification before the poll body had sought for the recall and modification of the resolutions, as well as the re-application of the “per station airtime limits observed during past elections.”
It added that since the resolutions would impair access to media, they would therefore contradict and defeat the purpose of the Fair Elections Act, and would even prejudice against lesser known candidates who will be deprived of the most effective means of campaigning on a national level.
Through its petition, the network also said the resolutions would infringe the constitutionally protected freedom of speech, of the press, and of expression.
“There is no legitimate and substantial public or governmental interest, deserving of the subservience of the right to free speech and expression that is being advanced by the new rules,” it said.
“The hearing conducted by the Comelec on Jan. 31, 2013 cannot be deemed as compliance with the requirement of public consultation or even a recognition of the affected parties’ right to due process, given that the hearing was conducted only after the issuance of the New Rules on Jan. 15, 2013, and only after GMA and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas send their respective letters assailing the constitutionality, legality, and practicality of the New Rules,” it said.
TV5 argued the two resolutions are “replete with constitutional infirmities and will negatively impact its ability to freely deliver vital news and information to the public, especially, during such a crucial time of elections.”
“While TV5 lauds the Comelec on its noble objective in coming out with rules to execute its mandate, the network only wants to ensure that any such regulation is exercised within the bounds of the Constitution and never in violation of the fundamental rights,” it said.
TV5 questioned the new rules, which mandated the need for television stations to seek for a “prior notice to the Comelec” for their “newscasts, interviews and or guestings of candidates” for purposes of monitoring.
The station said such requirement was “unconstitutional because it constitutes prior restraint on the freedom of speech, expression and the press.”
It said the aggregation of airtime limits for political ads on TV and radio “departed from the previous rule of counting the airtime minutes on a per station basis.”
“This provision constitutes class legislation as it tends to disfavor local or regional media outlets who have limited coverage capabilities,” TV5 said.
It said the resolutions were also vague as they do not provide for “a definitive manner in which aggregation shall be made thus making it difficult or impossible for media outlets to comply while subjecting them to possible criminal liability and loss of franchise permits.”
Benjamin B. Pulta
Statement of Comelec Comm. : Asked if Comelec will not violate the law that mandates the use of source code, Brillantes replied, “why, has anybody seen the source code used in 2010? Has anybody questioned the results? Without anybody seeing the source code we conducted the 2010 elections. So what is the issue about the source code?”
quote”Has anybody questioned the result?” Just my opinion and sight of this statement. It does mean that the comelec did not really involve themselves about the PROTEST, either this mean that an election protest is nothing to them. See how they make themselves s2pid? Kung kaniari mag sulti sulti sila nga magpasaka ug protesta kung naay reklamo, karun ning sulti kung naa ba daw ning reklamo sa resulta, how fun this brat, making some trash talk…. eat all those code and binaries then be contented with what you called 2010 ELECTION was a SUCCESS, but in contrary it was a big failure, and you don’t even accept the fact…
Hilom diha glen chong alias cheaters. style mo bulok… hilom na diha mura kaman ug irong buang sige ug usig bisan walay tawo, mura kaman ug ugang sige ug putak bisan walay pugaran. undanga na kanang imo baba sige ug pakadaot manumangil mapagtamastamas sa uban kay wala na gayoy motoo sa imo tongod sa imong kabuwaon.
cheaters:
ang kasagaran nga protesta sa limbong gepasumangil sa PCOS machine, kisyo naa daw manipulasyon nga nahitabo sa PCOS? kisyo nga edited daw ang mga resulta nga na transmit sa PCOS? etc. pero.. si glenn ba mesulti sa katawhan nga naay manual recount nga gebuhat ang comelec ug HRET sa mga presento nga iyang ge-protestahan? iya bang gesulti sa katawhan nga ang resulta sa manual recount nga gebuhat sa comelec ug HRET sa matag-presento nga iyang ge-protesthan, mao ra usab ang resulta sa na transmit nga resulta sa PCOS machine? hinungdan nga sa ikaduhang higayon nag-file sila ug motion for reconsiderarion kay ila gayod epugos ang kuno mga ebedinsya nga iyang gigonitan? gani tungod sa maong motion gepatawag sa taga-HRET ang mga maestra ug uban pa for some question? so, sa ato pa seguro kung naa may mga errors o discrepancies nga nahitabo sa mga na-transmit nga mga resulta sa meaging election ang PCOS machine, ang kadto lang sa ubang mga detalye pero dili sa insakto o sa tinooray nga resulta sa 2010 election..
To Chong and Espina Goodluck sa Election, sa mga supporters ayaw ninyo damdama ang politika kay dili na mao ang muhatag sa pang-adlaw adlaw nga panginabuhi… Bato bato sa langit ang pikon ay pikon.. hahaha, no care no care no care….
LIMBONG GANI SA AUTOMATED ELECTION, KANA PANG MANUAL. DAUG GIHAPON ANG DYNASTIA.
upaw ako sayod nga dili ka musulti ug ingon ana ug ikaw mismo wa pa masayod sa kamatooran, dili baya maot ang pagdawat sa kamatooran? ang maotanugon kung sa imung pagka-edukado nagpadala ug nagpa-uwat ka lang gehapon sa usa ka tawo nga way hinungdan ug bakakon, ingnaa lang ko upaw ug mubalintuwad kana kay ako mismo ang mutabang nimu.., hehehehehe
ambot nimo upaw hehehehe malingaw ra man pud ta nimo oi… hehehehe kaniari ang inyong permi esenggit singgit nga maayo pa ang manual recount kay sa PCOS kay way limbong? kay gani nagprotesta kamo kay kuno nalimbongan kamo sa automated election… karun kay tingali nga manual election kita dili na pud mo kay mao ra gehapon? kay unsa man gud ang imong gusto upaw? hehehehe upaw uwata lang imung kaugalingon pero ang katawhan bisag kanus-a dili na gayod nimo mauwat, hahahaha
we cannot deny the fact that accepting defeat is not easy to accept most especially if u spent that much.Glenn wud always think he won the election because not in his wildest imagination that the money and people behind him have definitely no match with with biliranons drive to dislike him. the church,ppcrv and thousands of volunteer have considerably fallen.
gleen make his protest a reason to stay away from biliranons so that if somebody want his assistance in any way or the other he is always nowhere to be found. sad to say that while gleen enjoying himself in manila his supporter scuffled to find all means to pursue their protest. this is not a thing to think deeply because this is exactly what gleen used to do.
sad….sad….sad…
u deserved the BAD KARMA Gleen.
ADTO NA SI GLENN PAKANDIDATUHON SA CHINA OR NORTH KOREA KAY WALA NAY ELECTION DIDTO PARA DILI NA NA SIYA MAGSIGI UG REKLAMO… TAGA DIDTO BITAW NANG IYANG MGA KALIWATAN.. MGA ILUGAN… KITAA GIILOG NA ANG MGA ISLA SA PINAS SA MGA SIKWA…
banha mo diha…mga espina..kay bisag unsaun kamo ang hugaw..kadto kamo sa division office didto ang pwerteng hugawa..kay dili ka nila ig aasign kun dili ka espina..kun dili ka nila ka color..mao ba na?mao ba na giingon nyo na ganun kalimpyo an espina?bisan ug mga teachers gi apil apilan ug pulitika kay naa man sila’y tawo ddto ha division office..dapat aksyonan ito..
You are correct Torque… Glen should realize how his ruthless and “palengkera” attitudes brought him down… He is now nothing but an insiginificant figure in Biliran. I don’t think he is an intelligent person and even his attitude is a “shame” to the lawyering profession. I felt sick to my stomach knowing that a lawyer like him can speak mean things to any person in public. Unless, he will change his ways, he will not succeed in anything he does…
bisan unsaun ninyu ug lingla ang mga tawo makig batuk guihapon sa mga nag dala ug kahugaw sa amun probinsya gihmung gatasan para long maka utang gihimung puhonan ang amung mahal nga probinsya ug kamu wala nag malasakit dia mi sa laing nasud andam mu soporta alng sa pag pulpog sa mga dautan.
Aron mo matunghan sa inyong katanga, tan-awa gani ni ninyo nga website kay naa dinhi giplastar ang mga ebedensya ni Glenn Chong aron ang katawhan mismo ang makasaksi kung tinuod bang wala’y basehanan ang protesta ni Glenn.
#12 RIANO, kung ugaling man nga wa ka pa matakdi ni glenn ka bakakon, ug nga tinuod ang imung gesulti nga naa ka sa laing nasud? ok, panginanu-a usa ang tanan kay tingali ug nagsasayop ka lang sa imuhang pagtoo ug nga tingali hangtod karun mebasi ka lang sa mga usa man nga ilang esulti sa imuha ug dili sa actual nga imung nakita. pagimbestiga…
#13 HOT CHOCO: ug di ka ba ugok? nganu nga motoo man me anang websibe nga diin imo lang amo ang naghimo, ang tanan nga mga geplastar man kaha sa imong amo diha sa website ninyo, sama ra sa mga ebedinsya nga iyang gepresenta sa comelec ug HRET, mga ebedinsya nga way hinungdan, kay sa dihang nagmanual recount ang resulta mao ra man ggehapon, ug gani ambot kung diha ba sa mao nga website, iya bang gebutang o gepakita diha ang gehimong manual recount sa tga comelec ug HRET, ug ang nahimong resulta.? iya ba gepakita diha ang pagrecount sa mga inbalido nga balota ug nga ang resulta nga diin daug gehapon si dr. sa iyaha ug 200+ bisan pa iapil ang mga inbalido nga mga balota sa pag-ihap? Hot Choco dili na ninyo mauwat ang katawhan kay nasayod na ang tanan ug unsa kamo ka-bakakon ug unsa kamo deperensyado.
karun kinsa man ang mas tanga? kami o kamo nga nagpabilng metoo sa mga bakak ug sa mga kabuang ni glenn????
Kami dawat nga daug c Limbungan sa decition, pero Daug sa mga mata sa katawhan sa taga Bliranon. last 2010…
mga ugok man mo.. fgmt, Hot choco, opong.. mga dawitwitan, cguro mga bitukon ning mga tawhana.. hahahaha
hahahaha suko ka BIRADOR DUHAY SUNGAY.? wa ka uroy mauwaw paggamit sa pulong nga katawhan sa biliran? kaseguro ka nga ang tanang katawhan sa biliran mesuporta sa inyong kabuang? hehehehe tingali ug nag-damgo ka la nga nagmata.? duhay sungay, di na bali ug ugok kay sa way utok sama nimo hehehehe
Sa pagakatinuod lng pildi gyud si Chong sa ilaray, pero daug si Espina sa ilaray, kung may makiglalis nku OK ra, wa man may magdaug nato diri… Ang apektado kaayo sa pulitika mao ang dakong pildido, dli ang mga ning dagan ug posisyon, kay kung magpa apekto ka sa politika way kauswagan ang kinabuhi tungod sa ang pulitika mismo ang mag apekto sa imong panrabaho… Mao ang mas maayo let’s play fair as voters… PEACE ELECTION 2013…. “DAPAT TAMA” by Gloc 9…
TAMA GYUD KA “BILIRANON”. PAGKA HUGAW GYUD ANG PANG GOBYERNO DINHI SA BILIRAN. DILI GANI KA KA ALYADO DILI GYUD KA MA-EMPLEYO. BISAN PA QUALIFIED OR WITH EXPERIENCE, SORRY NALANG BATA. BISAN ASA, MA KAPITOLYO, SA MUNICEPYO, SA ESKWELAHAN O BISAN GANI SA MGA KA PULISAN, IBALHIN KA SA LAYO.POLITIKA ANG IPA-IRAL. WOW…PAGKAHILAS SA BULOK NGA SYSTIMA. ANG ROOT CAUSE NIINI MAO: KAY GI-BOTAR MAN NINYO ANG AMA, ANAK, IGSOON, APO, PAG-UMANGKON SA ILANG KATUNGDANAN, WALAY CONTROL SA GOBYERNO. IMBIS SILA UNTA ANG MAG SERBISYO SA KATAWHAN, ANG KATAWHAN NA HINOON ANG MAGLUHOD PAG PANGAYO UG PABOR SA KANILA. THERE’S NO FAIRNESS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR EMPLOYMENT.
KINING NGIL-AD NGA SYSTIMA MAGPADAYON HANGTUD NGA KAMONG MGA LINTA NGA SUPPORTERS MAGPADAYON UG HIGOP UG SIP-SIP SA CORRUPT NGA DYNASTYA.
Glenn alias Upaw pasencia ka na ha kay kadtong panahon nimo mas ngil ad ka pa kay sa karon sanglit hilom na lang. kahinumdom ka sa imong panahon nga imong giinitan si cheche roa imong gilabay sa region ug kahimdum ka nga si anita morillo asawa ni anghing ramon mura yati ug superintindent nga toa permi sa division office naglingkod nagbantay sa mga empleyado kay imong gisugo? pakauwaw kalang glen maayo pa ug muhilom ka kay wala na gyod motoo nimo bisan gamay, ang motoo nimo ang pareho lang usab sa imong pangotok. Please alayon pag plastar ning akong comment.
hahahaha UPAW sa panahon ni glenn pila ba ka mga pulis ang nalabog sa lagyo? sa DPWH pila ba ka empletado ang nalabog sa lagyo? sa panahon ni glenn naa bay mga supporter sa espna nga nakasulod ug trabaho? sa panahon ni glenn naa ba siyay mga gintabangan nga mga supporter sa espina nga nan
nagkiknaihanglan sa iyang panabang niadtong sya pa ang congressman? ang pinaka-masakit sa tananug wa ka makalimot UPAW pila ba ka bata ang gitanggalan ni glenn ug scholarship sa diha nga siya na ang congressman, kay ang rason nga ang ginikanan sa mao nga mga myembro sa FOGE???
UPAW sa epina basta tabanganan ka ug may problema, basta muduol ka way daghan pangutana kung espina ka o chong tabangan ka dayon, kay gani sa duha ka tuig nga wa magpakita si glenn dinhi sa biliran, si kinsa man ang gidool sa inyong mga tawo sa panahon nga kung kanus-a sila nanginahanglan sa iyang mga tabang? dili ba mga espina? ang inyong amo diin man siya? didto sa laing lugar nagpalami lami uban sa iyang mga nobyo hahahaha ambot nimu UPAW… hala payta UPAW ug panguwat kung may mutoo pa ba nimu.. hahahaha