Proposal for automated 2010 polls out by October — Comelec

MANILA, Philippines - The poll body’s advisory council will come out by end-October with its recommendations on possible platforms for the automated 2010 general elections. Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua, council chairman, Wednesday told a congressional oversight body the technology will be based on what is more practical as experienced in the Aug. 11 elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The Commission on Elections (Comelec) used the direct recording equipment (DRE) system, which involves touch screen voting, and optical media reader (OMR) system where traditional ballots were shaded and counted through high-speed scanners, in ARMM. The poll body spent P525 million for the DRE provided by Venezuelan firm Smartmatic International, while P125 million was spent for OMR provided by American firm Avante International Technology, Inc. Nothing final Mr. Chua said, "There is nothing final yet. So far, our experience in ARMM is a hybrid, and that’s the most successful. It was clear that DRE was more superior but also more expensive than OMR." He added they are considering other platforms. Senator Richard J. Gordon, Senate panel chairman of the oversight body, prefers the DRE "for speedy elections" since OMR is "susceptible" to human intervention. Comelec has submitted a P3.8-billion budget for 2009, but it was requested to revise the outlay for preparations for the 2010 elections. — Bernard U. Allauigan, BusinessWorld