Budget for poll automation passes 3rd reading in House

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives on Monday evening approved on third reading the P11.3-billion supplemental budget for the automation of next year's national elections. With 193 voting in the affirmative, one voting negative, and one abstention, the chamber approved an amended House Bill 5715 which includes the proposal of Deputy Speaker Rep. Pablo Garcia (Cebu) to do away with the special legislation that lawmakers previously said must be approved before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) can utilize the funds. The “companion bill” was intended to set the conditions for which the funds would be released and guide the Comelec in implementing the poll automation. The amended House Bill 5715 instead provides that the funds be utilized in compliance with Republic Act 9369, the law on automated elections. The House approved the budget a day after the Comelec said that it would be forced to resort to the manual process of voting in the May 2010 elections if the Congress would not grant the supplemental budget on or before April 1. “We have to start the preparation by April 1 because of the many undertakings we have to accomplish, like the training of the personnel and the bidding of the machines,” said Comelec spokesman James Jimenez in last Sunday's Balitaan sa Tinapayan forum in Sampaloc, Manila. Congress is set to take a break starting Friday, March 6. Reservations Several lawmakers who voted in favor of the measure manifested their reservations after the voting. "We are afraid that under the hands of an administration that is intent on cheating in 2010, automation is the most dangerous thing we can take," said Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño. "We are for automation, not for automated cheating," he added. Sorsogon Rep. Salvador Escudero III said he felt "anxiety bordering on fear" because of his doubt that automation would get rid of cheating in the elections. For his part, Nueva Ecija Rep. Eduardo Nonato Joson - the only one who voted in the negative - said automation would not bring back the credibility of the Comelec that he said was largely lost because of the "Hello Garci" scandal. "If you cannot trust the men behind the elections, can you trust the machines and the men that operate them?" Joson said. Rizal Rep. Michael John Duavit abstained from voting. Comelec chair Jose Melo had earlier said that it would be hard for them to monitor whether election returns are being tampered if the forthcoming elections would be conducted manually. He also said that with automated polls, loopholes and lapses would be addressed accordingly "It’s about time that we really computerized our election. It's successful not only here but in other countries,” Melo said. Training In last Sunday's forum, Jimenez said the Comelec needs the budget by April 1 to start conducting training on teachers who are tasked to operate the machines. “Under our law, the Board of Election Inspector (BEI) is required to train at least one information technology (IT)-capable person to operate the machines. But then we will have to train two persons because if there is only one person and in case he goes sick during the election period, then who will take on his job?” he said. He noted that the training is an arduous process since those who would be trained would have to undergo preparations and certification from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). “That training is no joke. Imagine there are 80,000 precincts nationwide and we have to train a total of 160,000 personnel. That is why we have to start as early as possible,” he said. Some congressmen have reportedly expressed apprehension in approving the automation budget as they are pushing for a “hybrid” of manual and automated systems in next year’s polls. Comelec and other sectors have strongly opposed the proposal, stressing that it would go against Republic Act 9369 or the Poll Automation Law. Jimenez said the Comelec is still waiting for the “merits and demerits” of the advisory council regarding the proposed used of an Open Election System (OES) before making recommendation. “We cannot make anything without the instruction of the advisory council,” he said. Senate With the House approval of the supplementary budget, the ball now is on the Senate. Sen. Edgardo Angara, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, had already assured the approval of the budget without any reservation. "We will approve it as a supplemental budget. We are not going to impose any condition, we are not going to require any kind of technology or impose any specification," Angara said. But opposition Sen. Francis Escudero said the Comelec should prove first that a computerized election would pave the way for an honest one. "Ipaliwanag muna nila yung sistema hindi porket kinomputerize natin automatic malinis na ang election [They should guarantee first that a computerized election is a clean and honest one]," Escudero said in a report aired over GMA News’ “24 Oras.” - with Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV