FILE PHOTO: PCOS machines (UNTV Newso
Manila, Philippines – Although Valenzuela City Congressman Sherwin Gatchalian believes that the automated elections are more practical, he still urges the COMELEC to clarify some questionable details regarding The PCOS Machine.
“We cannot go back to the manual system. I’ve experienced manual vs. the automated; indeed, manual elections are physically, mentally and emotionally stressful.”
Issues on the return of the manual election has surfaced after the Supreme Court has released a temporary restraining order suspending COMELEC’S contract with Smartmatic for the diagnostics and repair of more than 80,000 PCOS machines to be used supposedly in the 2016 elections.
Some groups have called on to the Supreme Court to question the 268 million peso contract for not going through a public bidding.
Valenzuela Congressman Sherwin Gatchalian said, the use of PCOS machines is more practical especially since they are already available. However, he added that the COMELEC must first fix some transparency issues about the machines to remove public doubts.
“Some of the security features were not followed and the consolidation of the canvassing was not completed. I think it only reached about 70 to 80 %. So these two must be fixed to clear and remove doubts on people’s minds. There’s a lot of room for improvement in terms of transparency and I think COMELEC should strive for transparency.”
COMELEC has assured they are ready to open the source code review to prove that the machines are secured.
According to COMELEC Spokesman James Jimenez, source code review of the 23,000 soon-to-be-acquired Optical Mark Reader (OMR) machines will be done twice. The 80,000 PCOS machines will undergo source code review after the diagnostics and repair has been completed.
“For transparency considerations, it’s very important. If you remember in 2010, the concept of source code review has been crucial. Because this one is very early, it will fulfill that transparency function that we really, really want. On the technical aspect, it’s important to assure the public that the machines have no issues at all,” Jimenez said.
The source code review was first set in May, but until now the bidding for the 23,000 OMR Machines has not been completed. Diagnostic and repair of the old machines has been stopped due to the Supreme Court’s TRO.
As of today, the poll body is studying other alternatives in case the Supreme Court refuses to lift the T.R.O.
Former Commissioner Gus Lagman has also presented his transparent and credible election system proposing the manual voting and counting but automating the transmission and canvassing of votes. (VICTOR COSARE, UNTV News)