FILE PHOTO: Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (UNTV News)
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections chose to just set aside the request of vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to audit the systems used in the previously conducted elections.
COMELEC Chairman Andres Bautista said the En Banc was unanimous in its decision to defer on granting the petition until Congress finishes canvassing the votes for president and vice president and also until judgement has been passed in relation to the criminal complaint filed by the camp of Senator Marcos versus Smartmatic and some personnel of COMELEC because of the script alteration issue.
Bautista says, three factors were considered before coming up with the deferment decision.
The poll chief pointed out that before the May 9 polls, different parties were already given the opportunity since October to review the source code of the systems that will be used.
Chairman Bautista said, “Hindi kami masasabi na hindi naming binuksan yung aming proseso.”
(We cannot be accused of not opening the process.)
COMELEC is also worried that should a candidate be allowed to conduct audit, it may have an impact on the ongoing canvassing of votes.
The poll body is also looking at the cases that was filed by the Marcos camp against Smartmatic and some employees of COMELEC.
“Anong mangyayari pagka-nag audit, ano ba mangyayari, pagka may nahanap gagamitin ba yung mga ebidensya na yan doon sa mga kasong naisampa.”
(What will happen if there is an audit, if they find something, they will use it as evidence to the cases filed.)
It can be recalled that Senator Marcos’ camp wrote COMELEC asking that they be allowed to audit the transparency and central server following the incident wherein the program of the transparency server was altered by Smartmatic.
However, even if the request was set aside, COMELEC is in favor of allowing a non-partisan and qualified it personnel to do the audit of the 2016 election system.
He or she may come from the Department of Science and Technology or the COMELEC advisory council.
(VICTOR COSARE / UNTV News)
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