- Computerized Election 2010
I have watched on TV this morning about the endorsement of action star Robin Padilla for the pursuance of the automation of election in Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). This is the preparation of the Commission on Election (COMELEC) for the full blast computerization of the Presidential Election in the year 2010. Actually this computerization should happened last election but due to some of the controversies the COMELEC was involved in, the said plan was postponed and instead targets 2010 election for the implementation of this “modernization”.
In my opinion, the computerization should be implemented as soon as it is possible and as long as the integrity of the system are 100% guaranteed by COMELEC to be foolproof. This will ensure a speedy, orderly and clean process of election results and also minimizes electoral fraud. If this happens, Election 2010 will mark a new beginning and hope for Philippine politics. However, the answer to the continuation of this plan for the year 2010 will be based on the outcome of the election in ARMM this coming August 11. It something bad happens on the said trial on this region then election computerization will surely back in square one.
I hope that this modernization of the election in the Philippines will benefit us and improve the bad impression of everybody about the country’s politics. Anything is possible if the government will be sincerely serious about this matter!
For the information of everyone, ARMM will hold its election for governor, vice governor, and members of the Regional Legislative Assembly. COMELEC will be using Direct-Recording Electronic or DRE machines to replace the manual voting system. This voting system is actually the 8th point of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in her 10-point agenda that she promised during her State of the Nation Address or SONA of 2004 and my guess is this Monday, July 28 during her 8th SONA, there will be an updated promise from her about this automation of election.
a little correction, its not just the DRE that is used during ARMM 2008 election but also the OMR (Optical Mark Reader) which handles 5 provinces and only 1 province used the DRE technology.
I published an entry on this last week and I’m very pessimistic of this “advancement”. Any electronic has yet to be proven foolproof. Any claim is otherwise misleading. I hope they’ll only implement this in the local level. Philippines is a significant region for terrorism and national elections with direct influence from external forces is scary.