Straight from the Heart

Abs Damahan

Experienced in the first poll automation with PCOS

After 90 days of campaign sorties election fever end-up with many of lost of lives due to related political violence, hurting of many hearts and also losses of fat saving in the multiple bank accounts. The winning candidates are lucky enough to posture themselves how to recover their bulk of expenses in the span of the campaign period, while the losing candidates are imagining like a Shoalin drunkard masters counting the stones and stars on how they recover huge losses without profit gains. Post election related violence mars the dirty image of Philippine politics portrays immaturity kind of gruesome the incivility cultures and traits of Pinoy politics. Painful experienced of first automated election despite aberration of technical glitches of Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) Machines in some Precinct Polling Places. But, the systems in whole processes are average passing grades. Naturally, anything applicable system is considered new has always a flapped in the start of the operation until such time has it improvement for perfection.

COMELEC still need some improvement and innovation for the conduct of an automated electoral process in the area precinct distribution. As electorate of the first poll automation, I experienced a long line-up before reaching my Precinct Polling Place and cast my sacred vote. Next time automated election the Commission must bids guarantee and durable PCOS Machines suited for a tropical country like Philippines. COMELEC and Smartmatic-TIM make it sure to the electorate will not experience the same technical difficulties and delays what voters feel today’s national polls. Voters disturb by confusion could not locate his/her names in the voters master lists; it could take time delays to get the precinct numbers.  For the shading of the official ballot it will only consume 3-5 minutes marking the choosing candidates. The Commission still has a lot of works adaptation and revision for better COMELEC in the future. Poll automation must patterns to the international standards of modern technology electoral modernization in modern democracy. One of my concerns is Ballot Secrecy Folders is not fit to the long ballot form, it seems is not secrecy, but an open ballot inserted to PCOS Machines even seen by the BEI.

Signal deficiency of transmitting volumes data from the Precinct Polling Places using Precinct Counting Optical Scan (PCOS) Machines to Municipal, Provincial and National Board of Canvassers is likely encountered delayed in comfort to reach the National Counts Center. When we observed modern US and Europe electoral processes, by the hour the winning candidates are known to the public and declare by the independent election Commission out-rightly.

Based on COMELEC official counting it shows LP opposition bet Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino-III is pretty sure the winner as newly elected President of the republic One Philippines. By seeing the result of local elected officials he needs coalition government. I suggest he should form unity government for his administration to survive. Liberal Party is likely a minority government of both Houses of Congress would prelude to “hung Congress” will not produce majority government of his administration. Aquino’s governments need support from both Houses of Congress for the smooth passage of his legislative agenda.

For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761