No room for ‘operators’ in 2010 polls - Comelec chief

With the computerization of next year’s elections, there will be no room for “operators" to manipulate poll results, Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman assured on Thursday. “The activities of the operators will be lessened (because) everything will be the machine. It will not be touched by human hands. They won’t be able to do anything about it," Melo told reporters in an interview. Thirteen election officers, some of them linked to controversial former Comelec commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, are currently facing criminal charges and disciplinary actions in connection with the alleged anomalies in the 2007 elections. Garcillano was linked to the alleged irregularities in the 2004 elections when several tapes of his supposed phone conversations with then presidential candidate Gloria Macapagal Arroyo surfaced. The two were allegedly talking about rigging the election results to favor administration bets. Both Arroyo and Garcillano had repeatedly denied taking part in a scheme to rig the May 2004 polls. Among those who are facing charges in connection with the 2007 poll anomalies are lawyers Ray Sumalipao, current Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) regional election director; and Lintang Bedol, former provincial election supervisor in Maguindanao. The alleged irregularities in the 2007 elections prompted Comelec to hold special elections in two ARMM provinces, namely Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao. Comelec found Sumalipao guilty of “insubordination and misconduct" in August 2008 while Bedol was charged with “failure to account for election documents, gross neglect of duty, grave misconduct, and gross insubordination," among others in January 2009. Bedol has since gone into hiding. Meanwhile, two provincial election supervisors, lawyers Yasb Nasin (Lanao Del Sur) and Hamilton Cuevas (Lanao Del Norte) were both charged with “insubordination." Provincial election supervisors Yogie Martirizar (North Cotabato) and Lilian Suan-Radam (South Cotabato), on the other hand, were charged for “electoral sabotage." Five election officers in Lanao Del Sur and North Cotabato and two election assistants in Lanao Del Sur were likewise charged with violations ranging from “unauthorized registration, illegal deletion and transfer of votes, grave abuse of authority, grave misconduct, dishonesty, and simple neglect of duty." Melo said the charges and sanctions were long “overdue." - GMANews.TV